Flipside

William Christian Olesen--Naturalization Petition

2012-02-02T14:00:00.000-05:00

William Christian Olesen
Petition for Citizenship 1930

Again, Flipside scored a new documents for my paternal great grand uncle, William Christian Olesen--his Certificate of Arrival in the United States, the 1928 Declaration of Intention for Citizenship and his 1930 Petition for Citizenship. Thank you ancestry.com.

William Christian Olesen
Certificate of Arrival

Oddly, the information on Great Grand Uncle Bill's Certificate of Arrival, which was used as the basis of his petition to become a US citizen, is actually the second time he traveled from England to America. As mentioned in an earlier blog, Bill first came to the US with his sister, my paternal great grandmother, Elizabeth Olesen Hughes, on August 7, 1910 from Liverpool, England on the ship, Celtic. Uncle Bill lived with his sister and her husband, John George Hughes, in Woodlawn, Pennsylvania and was probably employed then with J & L Steel.

Bill traveled back to England in the summer of 1920. On the voyage back he was accompanied by his mother, Ferdinande Weiss Olesen and his sister, Emily Olesen Richards. They arrived at Ellis Island on July 24, 1920 on the S.S. Aquitania. It is this arrival in the United States that was used for the petition for citizenship.

I have never found citizenship papers for my paternal great great grandmother, Ferdinande Weiss Olesen. Perhaps she was "grandfathered" in with her son, Bill Olesen. That might make sense since she accompanied him on the voyage.

William Christian Olesen
Declaration of Intention 1928

These documents give me a better picture of how Uncle Bill looked. I never realized how big a fellow he was, standing at 6 feet tall and weighing 210 pounds. The papers also confirm that he was a locomotive fireman and that he was living with my great grandparents at 131 Spring Street in Woodlawn, Pennsylvania.

Now if I could only find a photograph!

Tombstone Tuesday:William Christian Olesen on Flipside.

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© 2012 copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Working Gal--Sarah Margaret VanGilder

2012-01-31T22:36:00.001-05:00

My Grams, paternal grandmother, Sarah Margaret VanGilder Hughes, was a member of the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania work force before she married George Henry Hughes in 1921. I was told she was a stenographer/secretary; however, until this week I never knew just where she was employed, nor did I have confirmation of her employment.

The 1917 Pittsburgh City Directory had a listing for her. At age nineteen she was a typist for The Sloan Typewriting Bureau. Also of interest in the directory is her home, which is listed as Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania.

It appears that Grams had to travel into Pittsburgh from Wilkinsburg, probably on a bus or streetcar. The Sloan Typewriter Bureau is advertised as the "oldest circular letter company in Pittsburgh." I had to google "circular letter" to find out what it was. Grams spent her work days typing and retyping the same form letter which was sent to groups of customers from various businesses.

She was a typist. I have numerous cards and letters that my Mother and I saved, typed by Grams. In 1977/1978, at age seventy-nine, she was still using a typewriter to write to me when I was pregnant with my first son.

Naturally as I am writing this my mind is wandering to where Grams was at in her relationship with my paternal grandfather in 1917. They had met about 1915 and were dating, although she was living in the Pittsburgh area and he was living with his folks up the Ohio River in Woodlawn, Pennsylvania. It was on August 1, 1917 that George Henry Hughes joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force, as a member of the 20th MGF (Machine Gun Force). Pop Pop was discharged on May 16, 1919 and they were married a little more than a year later, on June 5, 1920 in Fairmont, Marion County, West Virginia. I imagine that Grams was working as a typist up until she married.

I do not believe that Grams worked outside the home following her marriage; however, her typewriting skills stayed with her forever.

FROM MY BROTHER, JEFF--interesting historical tidbit. Back in 1917, the person using the machine was known as a "typewriter". The word "typist" came later.

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. All comments are welcome; however, if they are inappropriate, they will not be published.

PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2012, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Frederick Family Genealogy--Pittsburgh City Directories

2012-01-30T22:13:00.093-05:00

Ancestry.com continues to add scans of records that have been valuable to my family research. One of the most recent are two Pittsburgh Pennsylvania City Directories. In the past I have gone through some late 1800's and early 1900's Pittsburgh City Directories on microfilm at the library. Either that library did not have the 1904 and 1907 City Directory, or I was unaware at the time, that my Frederick family was then living in the Pittsburgh area.

I was delighted to find a record of my maternal great grandfather, Alfred Frederick, one of his daughters and my maternal grandmother, Martha Marie Frederick and one of his sons, Robert Frederick in the 1904 Pittsburgh City Directory. On the 1900 Pennsylvania Census, the Frederick family is living in Esplen Borough, Pennsylvania, along the Ohio River. Apparently, by 1904, the family moved into the city of Pittsburgh, on 5125 Liberty Avenue. There must have been a train switch yard near their apartment, as Alfred was employed as a switch tender for the railroad; a job he had held for several decades. This section of Liberty Avenue is near the Bloomfield area of town.

The second city directory is dated 1907. The family has moved across town, near the Monongehala River on Craft Place. My excitement with this record is that my maternal grandmother is listed, along with the place of her employment and the phone number. My mother, her daughter, had told me that Teek (my pet name for my grandmother) was employed as a stenographer before she married. This is the first record that proves my mother's memory was correct. I have to check further, but I believe that my grandparents met through work. I have to explore further where my grandfather's place of employment was in 1907.

I do not know how many years the Frederick's had a city address. More research is needed; however, I do know that they were living in Bellevue, Pennsylvania when my maternal great grandmother, Lucinda Orr Frederick died on December 15, 1909.

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© 2012, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Another dip into the Poole--Virginia Isabelle McClure

2012-01-28T13:26:00.001-05:00

Cover of autograph book once belonging to
Virginia Isabelle McClure

Genealogy tips do come from some welcome sources as was my good fortune this week. A message was left on one of my family pages out on ancestry alerting me to the sale on Ebay, of an old autograph book, dating from the 1880's, that once belonged to an ancestor.

In the end, I decided to not purchase the book as the price was a little steep. The first owner, Virginia Isabelle McClure, is my first cousin three times removed. I may have anted up if the owner was just a bit less removed. I was able to copy scans of the pages that the seller published and there was a listing of the various signers that could be identified. I guess that will have to suffice.

January the 1 1885
To My Friends
My Album is open
Come & see what.
Wont you waste a line
on one. Write but a
thought a word or tot
that memory may revert
to you.

Virginia, or Jennie as she is identified by many of the autograph signers, was the daughter of William Steele McClure and Elizabeth Ann Pool. She was born on August 31, 1873, probably on the family farm located in the Morgan District, Monongalia County, West Virginia. The McClure family had previously lived in Greene County, Pennsylvania and Jennie was the first of their children to be born in West Virginia. She had nine brothers and sisters and died at age twenty of a fever on October 23, 1893, in the Morgan District, Monongalia County, West Virginia...probably on the family farm.

Page that was glued onto the back cover
of the autograph book

What I learned from the few pages scanned:

Virginia's date of birth. I had the year, but not the exact date.
Virginia's date of death. I found it in records found on the West Virginia website, but had it incorrectly written on my FTM database and out on ancestry.
Virginia's middle name. She is listed as Belle; however, her brother, George Jerome McClure used Isibelle (Isabelle) in the autograph album.
Virginia was called Jennie by friends and family.

Note that brother George used the name
Isibelle (Isabelle) for his sister.

Signers of the autograph book that were listed and relation to Virgina:

John McClure--John Frum McClure, Virginia's oldest brother.
Oliver McClure--Oliver Lanham McClure, Virginia's second oldest brother.
M.E. Hall
Emma Church--Emma J. Church, second cousin once removed.
C. C. McClure
Belle Fleming
Martha McClure--Maratha Ann McClure, Virginia's oldest sister.
E.H Conway--could be Enzor Herschel Conway, husband of her sister Martha.
George F.C. Hartman
A. McClure--could be Elizabeth Ann Pool McClure, Virginia's mother.
J.B. McClure
Susie Brunner
George McClure--George Jerome McClure, Virginia's younger brother.
Joseph Johnson
C.N. Finnell
James McClure--probably James Sampson McClure, Virginia's younger brother.
John Fleming--could be John F. Fleming, first cousin once removed.
Lida Brunner
G. F. Lumley
R.H. Harne
S.A. Kinsley--Samuel Arlington Kinsley, first cousin twice removed to Virginia.
G.H. Kinsley--George H. Kinsley, first cousin twice removed to Virginia.
Edward Kinsley--Edward H. Kinsely, first cousin twice removed to Virginia.

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© 2012, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Jumping Back Into The Poole: Olive Pettit Bashaw

2012-01-24T21:35:00.000-05:00

Well over a decade ago my Aunt Faith asked, "I sure wish you could find out whatever happened to my Mom's niece, Olive". Before sites like Ancestry, finding Olive Bashaw was next to impossible. Over the years I periodically plugged her name into the various search engines currently available to those of us who love to do genealogy research. I think I now have enough info to give blogging about her a try and perhaps some family member might see it and contact me.

Olive Pettit Bashaw belongs to my Poole family branch and is my first cousin twice removed. She was born on June 2, 1914 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the daughter of Leon Hamilton Bashaw and Eleanor Poole. Her mother, Eleanor Poole, is my great grandaunt. Olive's middle name, Pettit, was the maiden name of her paternal grandmother, Lucretia M. Pettit.

Soon Olive became nicknamed "Little Olive" to distinguish her from her namesake, maternal aunt, Olive Poole. By the 1930 census, Olive, then age fifteen, and her younger brother Leon Poole Bashaw were enumerated with their Aunt Olive Reeves in a boarding house on Palo Alto Street on the North Side of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

I have been told that Olive attended Divine Providence Academy in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania during her high school years.

Following her graduation, Olive became employed as a clerk and stenographer with Kaufmann's Department Store in downtown Pittsburgh.

I have recently found three Pittsburgh City Directories that list Olive living with her mother in 1949 and then Olive living alone in 1952 and 1955 Her mother died sometime in the early 1950's.

Of interest in the directories is Olive's name. She decided to change it to Olivia. Name changes seem to be common with the Pooles. Actually many in the family added the final "e" to the original spelling of Pool in the early 1900's. My own grandmother decided to change the spelling of her first name from Sarah to Sara and her maiden name from VanGilder to VanGuilder. I don't think any of this name changing business was done legally....just for fun and it stuck!

Family members told me that once her mother died, that Olive, or Olivia, moved in with her brother. The trail is lost once again.

I have located a death certificate for Olivia P. Bashaw. The birth date is the same as our "Little Olive" and I believe it to be hers. According to the social security death record, Olive died September 11, 1987 at Shreveport, Caddo County, Louisiana.

She apparently never married and why she was in Louisiana still remains a mystery.

More on the Bashaw Family on Flipside
Friday Family Profile: Eleanor Poole Bashaw

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© 2012, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Not a New Years Resolution; however........

2012-01-23T14:04:00.001-05:00

I resolve to TRY to be a better blogger in 2012. Since I took most of 2011 off, I should have more than a few new ideas and items to blog about stored up on my computer and in my head...lol

Onward and upward.

Blog on......

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© 2012, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

What could I say but.....GOOD eye!

2012-01-21T13:49:00.001-05:00

After the Christmas holiday, my son and I spent a pleasant afternoon wandering around the Western Reserve Historical Society in University Circle, Cleveland, Ohio. I must admit that neither of us had been a visitor to this unique museum in decades and were somewhat dismayed to learn that the Crawford Automobile Museum is closed until perhaps the Fall 2012 for renovations.

I seem to remember that, back in the day, more floors of this old museum was open to the public. It seemed that when we toured, there wasn't all that much Western Reserve history to observe. HOWEVER, my son did see something in a display cabinet which is the focus of this particular blog.

There was a special exhibit featuring Abraham Lincoln and his connection to Ohio and the Western Reserve during his lifetime. We poured over the many displays of personal letters and photographs. Of particular interest were the numerous period political cartoons.

As we neared one display case, my son's eyes focused in on one small typewritten card which listed Tiffin, Ohio from which the object originated. "Dried Flowers from the grave of Abraham Lincoln in Springfield, Illinois, May 3, 1865. Preserved the day of the funeral by Mrs. Judge William Lang of Tiffin, Ohio."

Judge William Lang
Nice find!!! My son, through his grandmother, Helena Smith Hiser, is a relation of Judge and Mrs. William Lang of Tiffin, Ohio. Judge William Lang is my son's 4th great grand-uncle.

The Lang's were early pioneer settlers in Tiffin, Seneca County, Ohio. George Ludwig Henry Lang and his wife, Catherine Scheutz, arrived in America in 1832/1833 and made their way to Tiffin, Ohio. William's older sister, Louisa Lang Seewald (my son's paternal 4th great grandmother and link to the Lang family) also removed to Tiffin with her husband and children.

The wife mentioned on the little card as Mrs. Judge William Lang is Mary Patience Owen Lang. Obviously Judge Lang was a very prominent member of the Tiffin community. Not only a judge, he was also the first mayor of the city of Tiffin and was the author of The History of Seneca County, Ohio published by Warner & Beers Company in 1886. There is a detailed political history on Rootsweb and he has written the story of his family's journey to Tiffin from Germany in his book. There is also a section on his sister's Seewald family.

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© 2012, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Farschman History--And the "C" stands for Charles

2012-01-18T16:30:00.000-05:00

World War I Draft Registration of
AUGUST CHARLES FARSCHMAN

For decades I have wondered what the middle name of August C. Farschman was--what was that initial "C"? Last night while noodling around ancestry.com, I saw one of those little green leaves on August's name and decided to click. Imagine my amazement when I saw that he has a World War I draft registration on which he had carefully written his middle name, Charles. WAHOO!!!

August C. Farschman is the only name he used throughout his lifetime....on his marriage license, children's birth records, obituary,census reports, death records and tombstone. I have found numerous Clarence's in the Farschman family tree. In fact, my husband's father, a grandson to August, is named Clarence. This had lead me to believe that August's middle name was Clarence.

After this astounding find on ancestry, I went a little "leaf crazy" and began clicking on all the various leaves that were showing up in my tree. I did find some new information; however, I do have to admit that now having the ability to actually fill in August's full name on my FTM database was the winner.

August Charles Farschman
1940's

August Charles Farschman
Born: January 11, 1875 in Germany
Died: November 19, 1950, Rural Vermillion Township, Erie County, Ohio.
Married: Amanda Agnes Kutza about 1898 in Lorain County, Ohio.

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© 2012, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Wordless Wednesday--Wild Turkey

2011-09-14T07:00:00.001-04:00

Photo featured in a Flipside blog, Coincidence or Message, dated March 21, 2009.

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© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Wordless Wednesday--Bugs

2011-09-07T07:00:00.001-04:00

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Wordless Wednesday--A Fungus Among Us

2011-08-17T07:00:00.001-04:00

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Wordless Wednesday--I Love Lily

2011-08-03T07:00:00.000-04:00

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Lost and Found--Carrie Krieger Shotwell and Carol Mary Shotwell

2011-07-19T12:16:00.013-04:00

Earlier this summer I had the good fortune to be spending a few days in St. Joseph, Michigan. It was not all fun in the sun! One day I spent browsing in a wonderful antique shop and found a treasure trove of old family photographs.

Above is a cabinet card photograph identified on the back as Carrie Krieger Shotwell and her infant daughter, Carol Mary Shotwell. Information on the back of the card:

Carrie Krieger Shotwell
Niece of Mrs. Elizabeth (Scherer) Hadlow
Cousin of Rose Hadlow Edgcumbe

Carol Mary Shotwell
October 30th 1888
Age 4 months

Caroline (Carrie) Henrietta Krieger, daughter of Charles B. Krieger and Henrietta Scherer (Sherer) was born on June 26, 1861 in Michigan. She married Dr. Charles Benjamin Shotwell on January 1, 1885 in Chicago, Illinois.

The Shotwells removed to Dr. Benjamin's hometown of Richmond, Ray County, Missouri. Caroline died on February 15, 1950 and is buried beside her husband Charles in Shotwell Cemetery, Richmond, Ray County, Missouri.

Carol was born on June 29, 1888 in Richmond, Missouri. Looking at ancestry records, daughter Carol married Winchester T. Willis and they had a daughter, Dorothy Inez Willis. Carol is listed as Carol Monroe, a widow, living with her with her parents on the 1920 Missouri census. By the 1930 Missouri census, Carol is married to John. L. Wilkinson. Carol and John are buried in Shotwell Cemetery.

Carol's daughter, Dorothy Inez Willis, married Col. Mervin E. Mansager and they are both buried in Shotwell Cemetery.

Sources:
Ancestry census reports
Find-A-Grave Listings--Carrie Krieger Shotwell, Dr. Charles Benjamin Shotwell, Carol Mary Shotwell Wilkinson, Dorothy Inez Willis Mansager
Chicago Illinois Marriage Licenses on Family Search

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© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Stories in Stone--Charles William Parrish of Saugatuck, Michigan

2011-07-11T16:01:00.000-04:00

While in Saugatuck, Michigan earlier this summer, I wandered into the Parrish building, a present day drug store, in search of some throat lozenges. It was not until I was walking on the opposite side of the street that I noticed that the drug store was a "Story in Stone" with a name and date prominently displayed at the top of the old building.

Researching this name was easy. Only one Parrish lived in Saugatuck, Michigan at the turn of the 20th century--the family of Charles William Parrish--who as it happens, was a druggist. The building erected in 1913 to house Charles' pharmacy business continues to function as a pharmacy over 100 years later as the Saugatuck Drug Store.

Charles William ParrishFrom Find-A-Grave submission
Charles William Parrish, son of George D. Parrish and Adelia G. Halsted, was born on September 11, 1877 in Ransomville, New York. In 1900 the Parrish family lived in Flushing, Genesee County, Michigan and there he met his wife, Pearl Almyra Braman. Pearl, daughter of Edward B. Braman and Elmira A. Gorton, was born on November 30, 1878 in Flushing, Michigan.

Pearl Almyra Braman ParrishFrom Find-A-Grave submission
Charles and Pearl were married on August 25, 1903 in Flushing, Michigan. By 1910 the Parrish's were living in Saugatuck, Allegan County, Michigan. Charles was working in a drug store and Pearl was busy at home with her newly born daughter, Donna D. Parrish, born on April 13, 1910 in Saugatuck.

Pearl and Charles ParrishFrom Find-A-Grave submission
Pearl died on September 13, 1949 in Douglas, Michigan just shy of her seventy first birthday. She was laid to rest at Riverside Cemetery in Saugatuck, Michigan. Five years later, Charles died on June 30, 1955, at age seventy-seven, at a nursing home in Burlington, Iowa. He is buried beside his wife of fifty years at Riverside Cemetery.

THANK YOU to a historical researcher, Chris Yoder from Allegan County, Michigan, who has listed a complete record, including photographs and obituaries, of Charles and Pearl Parrish on the Find-A-Grave website. Their obituaries show two Saugatuck residents who were committed to community involvement and were well respected citizens.

Sources:

1900 Michigan Federal Census, Flushing, Genesee, Michigan; Roll: T623_711; Page: 6B; Enumeration District: 18.
1910 Michigan Federal Census, Saugatuck, Allegan, Michigan; Roll: T624_634; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 0029; Image: 1078; FHL Number: 1374647.
1920 Michigan Federal Census, Saugatuck, Allegan, Michigan; Roll: T625_754; Page: 4B; Enumeration District: 36; Image: 112.
1930 Michigan Federal Census,Saugatuck, Allegan, Michigan; Roll: 973; Page: 3B; Enumeration District: 33; Image: 184.
Find-A-Grave listed under Charles W. Parrish and Pearl A. Braman Parrish.
Michigan Marriages 1822-1995, Family Search, Source Film Number 1018928, Reference Number Pg 58 Rcd No 5999.
World War I Draft Registration Cards, Allegan County, Michigan; Roll: 1675113; Draft Board: 0.

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© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Wordless Wednesday--Vegas Beauty

2011-05-18T07:00:00.004-04:00

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Friday Family ProFile--Anna Leota Church

2011-04-29T07:00:00.000-04:00

Anna Leota Church, daughter of Edgar Wilson Church and Eliza Jane Richter, was born on October 13, 1889 at Keyser, Mineral County, West Virginia. Anne is my paternal second cousin twice removed . The Church branch is part of my VanGilder family tree. Edgar's mother was Rebecca VanGilder, daughter of Jacob VanGilder, Jr. and Sarah R. McElroy.

Anna and brother, Charles
Xerox of the original photograph

Recently a received a message regarding Anna (also known as Annie and Anne) from a fellow researcher through ancestry and I decided to feature her on my Family ProFile.

Edgar made a living as a laborer and a coal miner while Anna was growing up. The family lived in Lyon, Preston County and Grafton, Taylor County, West Virginia. By 1920, Edgar had moved to Akron, Summit County, Ohio.

Xerox copy of the original photograph

Sometime between 1910 and 1917, Anna married William T. Burgy. I have not been able to locate a marriage license for their wedding. William, son of Martin Luther Burgy and Ida M. Brinker, was born on August 1, 1887 at Newport, Washington County, Ohio.

William lists 950 7th Avenue in Akron, Ohio as his residence on his 1917 World War I draft registration card. The Burgy's are still living at 950 7th Avenue in Akron in 1920 and they have a five year old daughter named Ellen Jane. I have learned that Ellen was adopted. William is employed with Goodyear Rubber Company, where he worked through the 1940's.

Listed on the 1930 Ohio census, the Burgy family lived at 824 East Market Street in Akron, Ohio. Around 1935, the Burgy's divorced. Anna married JohnW. Jackson. I have not been able to find their marriage certificate. She remainded married to John until her death.

William T. Burgy died in Akron, Ohio on March 23, 1947. Anna died in Akron, Ohio on September 6, 1948. She is buried in Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery, Akron, Summit County, Ohio along with her parents and numerous siblings.

Sources:

1900 West Virginia Census, Lyon, Preston County, Page: 15A; Enumeration District: 103.
1910 West Virginia Census Grafton Ward 3, Taylor County,Page: 7B; Enumeration District: 0140.
1920 Ohio Census Akron Ward 6, Summit County, Page: 27B; Enumeration District: 197.
1930 Ohio Census Akron, Summit County, Page: 17A; Enumeration District: 25.
Burgy, William, Certificate of Death, Summit County, Ohio, Number 20714.
Jackson, Anna Leota Church, Certificate of Death, Summit County, Ohio, Number 58132.
Marsh, William Alfred, Church Family Group Sheets and xerox copies of Church family photographs.

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© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Eliza J. VanGilder Jenkins Death Record

2011-04-28T07:00:00.001-04:00

Eliza J. VanGilder, daughter of Jacob VanGilder, Jr. and Sarah R. McElroy, was born in Monongalia County, (West) Virginia in March, 1826. She married Francis Jenkins, son of Joseph and Catherine Jenkins, on May 10, 1860 at Grafton, Taylor County, (West) Virginia. Eliza is my second great grandaunt.

This week I located her record of death on the West Virginia Archives and History website. I wish there was more information; however, until this week, I did not know her date of death. I am still looking to find her burial site. My guess is Bluemont Cemetery in Grafton, Taylor County, West Virginia.

Eliza and Frank raised two children, Mary M. Jenkins and Samuel R. Jenkins. Mary married her cousin, Henry Moore Leps, Samuel was a bachelor. There were no offspring from Mary's marriage.

Lesson learned: Keep going back and checking sites with records....more are added daily.

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Wordless Wednesday--Painted Shrubs on State Street, Chicago, IL

2011-04-27T07:00:00.002-04:00

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Tombstone Tuesday--Robert Bell Frederick, Jr. and Roxanne Anderson Frederick

2011-04-26T07:00:00.005-04:00

Robert Bell Frederick, Jr., son of Robert Bell Frederick and Mary Alice Bradley, was born on December 11, 1911 in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. He is my first cousin once removed.

He married Roxanne (Roxie) Anderson. I do not know who her parents were. She was born January 9, 1918 and died on May 7, 2006.

First Cousins
Robert Bell Frederick, Jr. holding my mother,
Martha Jean Stark
Circa 1922

I had the good fortune to speak by telephone with Roxie and we shared information on the Frederick family through letters. Until I met Roxie, I had no idea what the "B" stood for in the name Robert B. Frederick. She told me that the family was close to the Bell family in Columbiana County, Ohio in the late 1800's. In fact, I think it was Lucinda Orr Frederick, who was close to the Bell family. She was enumerated on the farm of Robert Bell back in 1860. Lucinda was the grandmother of Robert Bell Frederick, Jr. I believe that the friendship was through the Orr line and not the Frederick.

She also gave me a good laugh in one of her letters when she referred to my maternal grandmother, Martha Marie Frederick Stark as "Dear Freddie". For years after reading that letter, Teek became Dear Freddie to my brothers and I. I had never heard anyone refer to Teek as Freddie; however, as I read through some of her old correspondence, Freddie was her nickname within the family and to some of her girlfriends at work.

Robert and Roxanne are buried at Allegheny County Memorial Park, Allison Park, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Also in the same lot are Robert's parents and one of their sons, Robert Bell Frederick III, a bank teller, who was killed in Pittsburgh during a bank robbery in 1971.

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PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Sign of the Times Then and Now--Mary L. Leech Taylor Moon

2011-04-25T07:00:00.000-04:00

Years back, while going through numerous pieces of ephemera from my maternal grandmother's estate, I happened up a letter written at the birth of my mother in December 1921. Why my grandmother would have saved this letter from Mary L. Taylor is unknown. Although she signed it "Aunt Mary", I do not believe that she is a relation. My mother told me that when she was young the term "auntie" was reserved for friends of her mother and "aunt" was a blood relation. I don't believe this was the case with Mary, although Mary refers to herself as "aunt".

Looking through the 1920 Pennsylvania census report, I found that she was a widow, living at the address in the letterhead with her daughter, Dorothy and her mother, Sophia Leech. Mary is employed as a stenographer and was undoubtedly a friend of my grandmother's through work. My grandmother, Martha Frederick Stark, worked as a stenographer until she married in 1914. I have numerous old photographs of my Grandmother Stark aka Teek, as a young woman with a group of "gal pals". Chances are that Mary Leech is in one of those pictures.

My primary reason for sharing this letter is Mary's story on the second page.....the date is different, but times have not changed since 1921 for many single working mothers.

Transcription of the letter:

Dear Martha:-

Charles called up today and told me the good news and I am so happy for both of you--a dear little girl--think of it--I'm crazy to see you both. Way down in my heart I wished a girl for you--I'm partial to them you know. I just knew Charles would be like Tom--crazy over either sex.

I wish I could get over to see you while you are in the hospital but I'm afraid I can't I'm just so rushed all the time I don't get the time to breath hardly. I have to rush to work and rush home and get dinner then I can't leave very well for I have no one to leave Dorothy with. I have loads to tell you when I see you.

A girl is coming to room with us the first of the year which will help some. We are getting along very well now only I have so much to do that I don't get the proper rest and my nerves are a wreck. I'm fatter than I ever was--old age I guess--but so nervous I'm ashamed of myself at times.

Tell your little daughter (I didn't get the card and don't know her name) that her new Aunt Mary has a little dress started for her but she came so quick I haven't it ready--it will come some day with all the more love.

Hoping you both get along fine--that I will see you soon with oodles of love from Dorothy and me.

I am
As ever
Mary

I was able to do a census check for Mary; however since Pennsylvania seems very slow in posting marriage and death records on line, I was only able to check the census. Ancestry has no family charts for this family.

Mary L. Leech, born in Pennsylvania (probably in Pittsburgh) in 1885 was the daughter of Charles W. Leech and his wife Sophia. Mary married Thomas Taylor about 1914 and they had one child, Dorothy Taylor about 1916. Thomas was deceased by 1920. The 1930 Pennsylvania census revealed that Mary remarried. Her second husband, Harry Edward Moon, born on January 19, 1888 in Baltimore, Maryland was a salesman. The family was still living at 1501 Asbury Place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

I did check my grandmother's papers and records. There was no listing of a Mary attending my the wedding of my grandparents or the funeral of Grandfather Stark's funeral in 1945.

My grandmother chose to preserve the letter and baby card from her friend Mary Taylor. I wonder if they saw each other often or shared telephone conversations throughout their married years. Did Teek attend Mary's second wedding--send a card and a gift? Or was she a friend from work who she was close to and then fell out of touch as the years wore on........I will probably never know.

Sources:

1900 Pennsylvania Census, Allegheny Ward 6, Page: 7B; Enumeration District: 59.
1910 Pennsylvania Census, Allegheny County, Pittsburgh Ward 8, Page: 10B; Enumeration District: 0380.
1920 Pennsylvania Cenusus, Allegheny County, Pittsburgh Ward 14, Page 6A, Enumeration District: 543.
1930 Pennsylvania Census, Allegheny County, Page 19A, Enumeration District: 222.
Moon, Harry Edward, World War II Draft Registration Cards, National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington, D.C.; State Headquarters: Pennsylvania; Microfilm Series: M1951; Microfilm Roll: 220.

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Friday Family Profile--Eleanor Poole Bashaw

2011-04-22T07:00:00.004-04:00

Eleanor Poole also Eleanor Pool, daughter of Sampson Frum Pool and Sarah Louise Harner, was born in October 1, 1886. She was the youngest in a family of eight children and grew up on the Frum farm north of Morgantown, West Virginia in the Morgan District. Eleanor, also known as Nell and Nellie, is my great grand aunt.

Two months shy of her twenty sixth birthday, on August 23, 1912, Eleanor married Leon Hamilton Bashaw, at Morgantown, Monongalia County, Ohio. She was the third wife in a series of four for Leon. Leon, son of Lunsford H. Bashaw and Lucretia M. Pettit, was born on December 18, 1871 at Irondale, Jefferson County, Ohio.

Leon worked a variety of jobs before he married Nell--house painter, carpenter are among them as he moved between Ohio and West Virginia. From his first two marriages, he had four children--two with each wife. It appears that the first marriage ended in the death of his wife and the second in divorce.

Children of Leon Hamilton Bashaw and Jennie F.Cunningham:

Lucretia Isabell Bashaw, born August 1898 in Ohio.

Russell Jay Bashaw, born October 12, 1899 in Ohio and died September 18, 1990 at Canton, Stark County, Ohio

Children of Leon Hamilton Bashaw and Theressa Lenore Shriver:

Male Bashaw, born 1903 and died February 3, 1902 at Minerva, Ohio.

Victor R. Bashaw, born June 21, 1904 in Ohio and died July 20, 1975 at East Liverpool, Columbiana County, Ohio.

Ernest Russel Bashaw born 1906 in Ohio.

Eleanor Poole Bashaw
Olive Pettit Bashaw
Leon Poole Bashaw
circa 1923 at Poole Family Reunion

Soon after her marriage to Leon, the couple moved to Oklahoma, where their first child, a daughter was born. Olive Pettit Bashaw was born on June 2, 1914 at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Her middle name is the maiden name of her paternal great grandmother and her first name taken from her maternal aunt, Olive Pool.

Eleanor Pool Bashaw and baby daughter
Olive Pettit Bashaw

The Bashaw's second child, a son was born in Charleroi, Washington County, Pennsylvania. He was named Leon Poole Bashaw and was born on January 24, 1917. Since the family was living on a farm in Columbiana County, Ohio at the time of Poole's birth, I wonder if he was born at his maternal aunt's (Sarah Ann Pool Pinyerd) Maternity Hospital in North Charleroi, Pennsylvania.

The 1920 Ohio Census lists the family as living in Knox County, Columbiana County, Ohio and Leon is employed as a newspaper collector.

Could Nell already be divorced and living in
Rices Landing, Pennsylvania?

Sometime between 1920 and 1927, Nell and Leon divorced and she moved with her two children to Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Eleanor worked in Pittsburgh and her sister, Olive Pool Reeves, took care of them. The 1930 Pennsylvania census shows young Olive and Poole Bashaw living on the North Side of Pittsburgh in a boarding house run by their Aunt Olive.

Here is where I lose this piece of my family. I have not been able to trace any of them! Olive Poole Reeves probably died in the Pittsburgh area as did her sister, Eleanor Poole Bashaw sometime after 1952. They were both living in Aspinwall, Pennsylvania when their sister, Sarah Ann Pool Pinyerd died on June 19, 1952.

I was told by a family member that she paid for the burial of Nell and that Olive Bashaw paid her back for the expenses of the funeral. I have had no success locating Olive Pettit Bashaw. I have found some records for Leon Poole Bashaw, in particular, that he was a Prisoner of War during World War II.

Any family members who have knowledge of this branch of my family tree.....PLEASE contact me.

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© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Treasure Chest Thursday--Antique Toys

2011-04-21T07:00:00.004-04:00

I remember these tiny toys as a child. They were part of the train display under our Christmas tree back in the 1950's. The two little buildings are made of wood and the tiny doll is porcelain with a hand crochet or tatted dress. Back in the 50's there were several additional dolls. In particular, I can remember one with a little bonnet. Over the years, only these three items remain.

I do not know the date these were made. There are no makers marks on the buildings or the doll. My mother once told me that she could remember them when she was a child and that her father also used them as decorations under the Christmas tree. Perhaps that was the reason they also found their way under my childhood tree.

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Wordless Wednesday--Charles Edward Stark

2011-04-20T07:00:00.000-04:00

My maternal grandfather
from a photo post card

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Tombstone Tuesday--Beryl Lepard Burkett and Leon Milton Burkett

2011-04-19T07:00:00.002-04:00

Beryl E. Lepard, daughter of William H. Lepard and Alice N. Finch, was born on March 23, 1893 in Venice Township, Seneca County, Ohio. Leon Milton Burkett, son of John F. Burkett and Elizabeth J. Gruver, was born on July 15, 1887 at Bettsville, Liberty Township, Seneca County, Ohio.

On June 15, 1922, at Attica, Seneca County, Ohio, Leon Milton Burkett married Beryl E. Lepard. At the time of their marriage, John was employed as a post master and Beryl as a teacher. Beryl Lepard Burkett is my third cousin, once removed.

Leon's World War I draft registration gives his employment as a baker and the death certificate lists his occupation as grocer. The Burkett's had one son, Leon Milton Burkett, born in 1925. Young Leon died in World War II on the Pacific Ocean.

Three years after his marriage and the year his son was born, Leon died at age thirty eight, on December 30, 1925 in Maple Grove, Liberty Township, Seneca County, Ohio and is buried in Attica Venice Cemetery, Attica, Seneca County, Ohio.

Beryl married second, John H. Shimer, on January 19, 1945 in Seneca County, Ohio. On April 24, 1945, Beryl lost her only child, Leon Milton Burkett, who was killed during a flight over Tokyo in a B-29 during World War II. The plane was shot down and all members of the crew were killed.

Beryl died on April 4, 1972 in Tiffin, Seneca County, Ohio. She is buried beside her first husband, Leon Milton Burkett at Attica Venice Cemetery, Seneca County, Ohio.

This had been a missing piece of my family tree. I took the photos of the tombstones when I was wandering around Attice Venice Cemetery looking for my Frederick and Lepard relations. I saw the Burkett name and knew that my husband had links to Burketts.....not realizing that Beryl was my cousin until I began to do the research for this blog.

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© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Is This You Great Grandfather?

2011-04-18T19:23:00.014-04:00

Last week was quite an enlightening time for me, searching through the various Internet genealogy websites looking for new Civil War documents and information for my veteran ancestors. Both ancestry and footnote seemed to have geared up for the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the war by adding scads of new information.

I plugged in all my names into the various search engines and have come up with loads of additional documented information.

Two that were a curiosity came from ancestry. They are United States Returns from Military Posts 1806-1916. There are two listings for Charles Stark from Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

My maternal great grandfather is Charles Stark. He served in the Civil War from 1861 until 1864 and then remustered into service in 1865 with the new Company H 6th West Virginia Calvary and serving in the Colorado and Dakota Territories. Charles was discharged from this service in 1866.

Apparently great grandfather was not done with his service to the military. There are two documents that list him as a member of the Allegheny Arsenal Post on July 7, 1887 and discharged on March 10, 1890. Another cousin and I figure that this may have been comparable to the VFW or American Legion.

The discharge date for Charles Stark is a month earlier than the date that he was sent to the Allegheny City Home, April 15, 1890.

I think that these records belong to my great grandfather's genealogy.

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Treasure Chest Thursday--Baptism Dress and Booties

2011-04-14T07:00:00.001-04:00

Martha Jean Stark Hughes
and
Linda Lee Hughes
1947

This past week I have been engaged in the annual rite of spring cleaning. The target area has been the immense accumulation of stuff in my basement. Also housed there are all my family photos and many of my "genealogical momentos". While thumbing through an old Hughes family album, this photo of little Linda Lee and Mom jumped off the page. Turning around I went to a plastic container and inside a small yellow box. There I found the little white dress and booties in this 1947 photo.

I don't know if this was my baptism, although the dress certainly appears to be one worn at such an occasion. The question mark in my mind is that Mom does not have a corsage attached to her suit jacket. Dad ALWAYS celebrated events with flowers.

The dress and slip were "store bought"; however, I do believe that the little booties were knitted by my maternal grandmother, Martha Marie Frederick Stark aka Teek. She was quite the seamstress and was proficient with all forms of hand work. The little pink roses embroidered on each booties are most certainly her hallmark.

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PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

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Wordless Wednesday--FINALLY Spring arrives on the North Coast

2011-04-13T07:00:00.007-04:00

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PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

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Tombstone Tuesday--Matthew Thomas Orr

2011-04-12T17:26:00.070-04:00

MATTHEW THOMAS ORR
1836-1909
104 OVI
(Need to get back to photograph this without ice & snow)

In honor of the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War, I am featuring the tombstone of my Great-granduncle, Matthew Thomas Orr, of Columbiana County, Ohio. Matthew was the son of William Morlan Orr and Nancy Cannon. He was born in Columbiana County, Ohio on September 8, 1836, probably on the family farm in Elkrun Township.

Matthew mustered in to the 104th Regiment, Company C, of the Ohio Volunteer Infantry at East Palestine, Unity Township, Columbiana County on August 2, 1862. He was appointed to the rank of sargeant on August 25, 1862, however, when he mustered out in Greensboro, North Carolina on June 17, 1865, he was listed as a private. Matthew suffered from a gunshot wound which he incurred during the war.

There is a listing in the Columbiana County Death Record which records all county deaths from the Civil War...

"Matthew Orr, 5th Sarg from Elkrun Twp. as having been killed in action in Atlanta, Georgia. 104th Reg OVI Co C." Obviously this account of death was incorrect.

Matthew is listed in the 1890 Special Census for Civil War Vererans and Widows--

Matthew T. Orr, private, Co C 104 Ohio Volunteer Infantry, August 7, 1862 to June 17, 1865. Served 2 years, 10months, 6 days. Gunshot wound.

Matthew died at age seventy-two on December 22, 1909 in Lisbon, Columbiana County, Ohio. He is buried beside his first wife, Mary Ellen Smith Orr in The Lisbon Cemetery, Lisbon, Columbiana County, Ohio.

Sources:

1890 Special Census for Civil War Vererans and Widows, New Lisbon, Columbiana, Ohio; Roll: 74; Page: 1; Enumeration District: 49.
Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio. 11 vols.Cincinnati: Wilstach, Baldwin, 1886.
Ohio Death Certificate, Matthew T. Orr, Columbiana County # 59950.

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PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

The American Civil War Genealogy Blog Challenge--Happy Dance Time

2011-04-08T14:42:00.002-04:00

A would like to send a BIG Flipside THANK YOU to Bill West over at West in New England for challenging us to blog about a Civil War ancestor. While I was working on my blog last night, I decided that I needed to find the links on the net for the listings of two paternal Civil War soldiers for my sources and it lead to a monumental discovery.

I located my two fellows easily enough, by putting their names into the search engine out at the West Virginia Division of History and Culture website. Then I decided to try my paternal great great grandfather, John Oliphant VanGilder again using "Van Gilder" rather than VanGilder or Vangilder. How often have we all located a surname simply by tweeking the spelling? What came up literally sent shivers down my arms.

There, staring back at me from the screen, were two letters actually written by my great great grandfather! Both deal with the commission of James A. Davis, who apparently was elected as a First Lieutenant and Second Lieutenant on the same day....September 22, 1862.

I notice that my great great grandfather also seems to have an issue with the spelling of his surname using both Vangilder and Van Gilder in the letters. No wonder I have trouble with it!

A little more investigating on the website and I came up with two service records for John. One listing his service as Captain with the 76th Monongalia County Militia in 1861 and the second as a Captain with the Company C Monongalia County Militia in 1864.

I do tend to recheck websites periodically to see if new information has been added. I had neglected the West Virginia site for some time.....that won't happen again ;-)

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© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

The American Civil War Genealogy Blog Challenge--Where Are My Paternal Bluecoats?

2011-04-08T09:05:00.004-04:00

April 12, 2011 marks the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War at Fort Sumter, South Carolina. Bill West of West In New England has issued "THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR GENEALOGY BLOG CHALLENGE" to mark this defining event in the life of our country.

For years I searched for a list of Civil War soldiers on my father's side of the family tree. Dad was a Civil War buff....we are talking an ardent enthusiast, especially once he retired. It was his passion and he decided that he would "teach" the Civil War seminar when he was living at his retirement village. The amount of energy he devoted to "his course" was truly remarkable. I was on hand for the opening seminar with a little surprise for Dad.

Once I turned my genealogy research on full throttle, Dad lamented that I had documented a "ton" of Revolutionary War soldiers in his line, but only one from the Civil War. The gauntlet had been thrown down!

Now, Dad's paternal side of the tree were all from England and his grandfather arrived in the US after 1900....no bluecoats there. It was all up to my Grandmother Hughes to supply a few union soldiers. She was always proud to announce to anyone who would listen...."I'm from WEST by God Virginia!" Certainly there must be a few civil war soldiers among her ancestors from Morgantown.

The easy one was William Lanham Pool, Dad's maternal gg grandfather, my ggg. I found information on William in the Morgantown series books, the 1890 Special Census for Surviving Soldiers, Sailors And Marines, and Widows and finally his Civil War pension file. William L. Pool served as a private and a corporal with Company I, 14 West Virginia Infantry between August 20, 1862 to May 9, 1865.

Two more ancestors, John Oliphant VanGilder and Sampson Frum Pool were the right age to have participated in the war. John and Sampson were my Dad's maternal great grandfathers, my gg. There was simply no information on these two men's involvement in the civil war. Odd, that Sampson's father, William Lanham Pool, had a record of service, but not his son.

The research lay fallow for years until the advent of the West Virginia Division of Culture and History website. In 2003, while I was noodling around on the site looking at the death records in Monongalia County, I happened to see that there was an archives and history section that was searchable. First, I plugged in the name "John O. VanGilder" and voila, up came several pages of West Virginia Adjutant General's papers, Union Militia 1861-1862. It was slow going reading and scrolling down the pages until I began the "happy dance". There was our ancestor....and he was a Captain of Company 4 of the 76th Regiment of the Virginia Militia.

With this success under my belt it was only natural that I would search again, this time for Sampson Pool. And there he was, written Samson Pool, he served as a private in Captain L.S. Hayes, Company B, 14th Regiment of the West Virginia Union Militia.

A surprised look on Dad's face.
Now I wish I had taken a better photograph
of the presentation board. Only a
small corner of it shows here.

This new information was found a month before Dad began his seminars. As a surprise, I decided to make a presentation board featuring the three Civil War soldiers in Dad's ancestry. After Dad completed his first seminar, I stood up and asked the group's indulgence as I made my presentation to Dad of his civil war history. He was surprised and pleased.

Sources:

1890 Special Census for Surviving Soldiers, Sailors And Marines, and Widows, (Eleventh Census of the United States, Special Schedule), Page 1, Supervisors Distrit 168, Enumaeration District 78, # 8.
Civil War Pension File, William Lanham Pool, #974,081.
Core, Earl L., The Monongalia Story: A Bicentennial History III. Discord, McClain Publishing Company, Parsons, West Virginia, 1979, page 533.
Pool, Sampson Frum, West Virginia Division of Culture and History, West Virginia Memory Project, West Virginia Militia Database.
VanGilder, John Oliphant, West Virginia Division of Culture and History, West Virginia State Archives, West Virginia Adjutant General's Papers, Union Militia Papers 1861-1862, Monogalia County Transcriptions 1862. (Sixth and Seventh from the bottom of the page.)

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. All comments are welcome; however if they are inappropriate, they will not be published.

PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Friday Family ProFile--Jesse Pinyerd and Melvina S. Rider Pinyerd

2011-04-08T07:00:00.006-04:00

Jesse Pinyerd, son of Thomas A. Pinyerd and Mary Coner was born on March 5, 1828 in Bedford, Pennsylvania. He married Melvina Rider on July 15, 1853. Both Jesse and Melvina were from Clarksville in Greene County, Pennsylvania when they married. She was born on August 11, 1838 in Pennsylvania, the daughter of Thomas Rider and Mary B--e.

Jesse Pinyerd was a blacksmith and moved from area to area during the mid to late 1800's. From Washington County, the family was next enumerated in Jefferson Township, Greene County, Pennsylvania in 1870 and Cumberland Township, Greene County, Pennsylvania in 1880. On this census Jesse's son, John, is also listed as a blacksmith, undoubtedly assisting his father in the shop.

During the 1880's and up to 1907, the family was located in Rices Landing, Greene County, Pennsylvania. For an unknown reason, Jesse and Melvina moved to Chicago, Cook County, Illinois in October, 1907. One of their daughters, Dorcus Sabina Pinyerd Allfree lived in Chicago; however not in the area where her parents moved.

Jesse and Melvina had only lived in Chicago for four months before Jesse died from a influenza on February 5, 1908, one month shy of his 80th birthday. His body was taken back to Rices Landing and is buried in Hewitt Cemetery.

Following Jesse's death, it appears that Melvina went to live with her son, George T. Pinyerd in Bucyrus, Ohio. She died ten months after her husband, on December 27, 1908 at age 73. She was buried beside her husband and two children, Ida Ann and Jesse, Jr. in Hewitt Cemetery.

Children of Jesse and Melvina Rider Pinyerd:

Jessie Pinyerd 1854-1939
Dorcus Sabina Pinyerd 1857-1948
John A. Pinyerd 1859-1951
Uriah R. Pinyerd 1862-1932
Ida Ann Pinyerd 1863-1863
George T. Pinyerd 1865-1923
Jesse Pinyerd, Jr. 1869-1877

Sources:
- 1860 Pennsylvania Census, East Bethlehem, Washington County, page 449.
- 1870 Pennsylvania Census, Jefferson, Greene County, page 277.
- 1880 Pennsylvania Census, Cumberland, Greene County, ED 68, page 163B.
- 1900 Pennsylvania Census, Cumberland, Greene County,
- Hewitt Cemetery Listing, Rices Landing, Pennsylvania
- Pinyerd, Jesse, Illinois Death Certificate, Cook County # 13448.
- Pinyerd, Melvina Rider, Ohio Death Certificate, Crawford County # 261.

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PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

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National Tartan Day

2011-04-06T18:07:00.005-04:00

Clan Ferguson Tartan

Clan Houston Tartan

Tartans of my two primary Scottish roots originating from the paternal side of my family tree. John Ferguson, born 1730 in Maryland, probably the son of Duncan (Dunkin)Ferguson, a Scottish Jacobite, who was transported to Maryland in 1716 as an slave-rebel.

Second, Robert R Houston, who arrived on American shores in 1659 from Scotland. He descends from a long line of Houstons orginating in Houston, Scotland.

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PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

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Wordless Wednesday--Who's That Tapping at My Window?

2011-04-06T12:56:00.000-04:00

Julie finds a new friend
22 stories up

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PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

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Tombstone Tuesday--Alice R. Lepard Ayres Kaufman

2011-04-05T07:00:00.004-04:00

Alice R. Lepard, daughter of Isacc Lepard and Sarah Woollet, was born on July 23, 1863 in Attica, Seneca County, Ohio. Alice is my second cousin twice removed. I first found the Lepard family when I was searching for my maternal great grandfather, Alfred Frederick in the 1860 Ohio Federal Census. He was living with Isaac and Sarah Lepard. I had no idea who they were; however, with a little detective work, I found that my great grandfather was Sarah's first cousin through the Frederick line.

On April 20, 1890, Alice married William H. Ayres in Seneca County, Ohio. William, son of David Ayres and Mary Hall, was born in Plymouth, Ohio in September, 1854. There is a descrepancy on William's birth between the 1900 Ohio census and the death certificate as to the month.

The Ayres had one child, a son, James, born in April, 1892 in Ohio, probably Attica, Seneca County, Ohio. William was the owner of a furniture store in Attica.

On October 15, 1928, William died at Mercy Hospital in Tiffin, Seneca County, Ohio. He was buried at Attica Cemetery, Attica, Seneca County, Ohio

Alice married Emanuel M. Kaufman; a second marriage for both. Emmanuel was the son of Daniel and Elizabeth Kaufman and was born in Crawford County, Ohio on December 2, 1856. Emanuel predeceased Alice on April 13, 1931 at Attica, Seneca County, Ohio. He is buried in Attica Cemetery beside his first wife.

Alice died on July 11, 1946 at age seventy-four. She is buried beside her first husband, William H. Ayres in Attica Cemetery. She spent her entire life in Attica.

Sources:

- 1900 Ohio Federal Census, Attica, Venice Township, Seneca County, ED 119, Sheet 16 A ( 206).
- 1910 Ohio Federal Census, Attica, Venice Townshkip, Seneca County, ED 172, Sheet 7 B.
- 1920 Ohio Federal Census, Attica, Venice Township, Seneca County, ED 141, Sheet 7 B.
- 1930 Oho Federal Census, Venice, Seneca, Ohio; ED: 38, Page 7A.
- Ayres, William H., Ohio Death Certificate, Seneca County # 63356.
- Kaufman, Emanuel, Ohio Death Certificate, Seneca County # 26926.
- Kaufman, Alice Lepard, Ohio Death Certificate, Seneca County # 44941.

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. All comments are welcome; however if they are inappropriate, they will not be published.

PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Saturday Night Genealogy--The 1940 Census

2011-04-03T20:57:00.005-04:00

I can't wait to get a peek at the 1940 Federal Census and thank Randy over at Genea-Musings who has challenged us to think about it for this week's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun.

A cousin of mine just sent me the blank 1940 census so I could see what the questions would be. I did notice one, that I don't think has been on a census in the past: Highest grade of school completed. I have no idea how far some of my ancestors went in school. I have heard that all my grandparents....maternal and paternal....completed 8th grade. I believe that was the norm in the late 1800's and early 1900's. They all went to work after graduation.....one as a draftsman, one as a numbers cruncher, one as a secretary and one as a stenographer.

There are several people I am particularly interested in finding after the 1940 census opens. I have not been able to locate my paternal great grandmother and my paternal great great grandmother in 1930 and I know they were either living in Woodlawn or Monaco, Pennsylvania. Hopefully, I will be lucky in 1940.

Lately, I have been blogging about my Pinyerd family and I am curious to see if the husband and wife are still living together in 1940 as my research had lead me to believe that they may have separated.

Of course I want to find my Mom and Dad, who would both be nineteen and in college. I wonder if they will be included....did they enumerate college campuses? It will be my Aunt Faith's first census.

My primary targets will be family whose whereabouts I already know....and I think I will only search for those in smaller towns.

I can't wait!!!! I hope I make it for the 1950 census opening as it will be my first enumeration. WAHOO

FYI on the 1940 Federal Census:
- Questions asked on the census report.
- Copy of a blank 1940 census report.

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. All comments are welcome; however if they are inappropriate, they will not be published.

PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History - Spring

2011-04-02T07:00:00.004-04:00

Week 14. Spring. What was spring like where and when you grew up? Describe not only the climate, but how the season influenced your activities, food choices, etc. Thank you to Amy over at We Tree for sponsoring this event.

Looking down into the woods.

When I was in elementary school during the 50's a group of us spent most of the daylight hours playing in the woods behind our houses on Washington Drive from spring through fall. The woods was our playground.....a fantasy world...a place to learn about and respect nature. It was our kingdom and we were the rulers.

I think we all anxiously awaited spring when we could get back down our playground after the winter hiatus. The woods was a valley directly behind our street with a shallow creek winding its way from end to end.

My best gal pal and I would pack up enough food and beverages for the day and head down the path. We had a "secret" camp along the creek way up stream and about a half mile from our houses. The day would be spent wading in the creek looking for little critters, wandering around picking wildflowers, cooking our lunch over a fire in the hand dug fire pit, reading and just having FUN. It was a time of self entertainment--no computer games, no cell phones, no iPods. Granted there was TV, but that was for after dinner.

There was a small hill on the way to our camp that was filled with violets in the spring. I can remember we would collect baskets full of them, make small bouquets tied with ribbon and sell them door to door on our street. We were enterprising ;-)

If we weren't in the woods, we were out on our bikes...the old balloon tire two wheelers. Both my friend and I got them for Christmas in 1955 and we decided that annually we would paint them. One year they were black and gold for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Steelers, one year pink and blue! We would drive all over the area where we lived on those bikes.

The warmer weather brought everyone out and as soon as the daylight hours began and the days grew longer, a large group of us would spend the evenings playing "kick the can" out on the street. Oh the hiding places we had for that game. I imagine that some of the parents weren't too happy with us as I know we destroyed some landscaping hiding inside shrubs and climbing into tree.

Such fond memories of a time past....a treasured childhood.

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. All comments are welcome; however if they are inappropriate, they will not be published.

PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Friday Family ProFile--John A. Pinyerd

2011-04-01T07:00:00.011-04:00

When I think of steamboats cruising up and down the river, two folks come to mind....my paternal great grandmother, Jessie Pool VanGilder and the husband of my paternal great grandaunt, John A. Pinyerd. The Pinyerd line has recently come back onto my front genealogy burner with an e-mail from a cousin out in Texas. Sometimes I need to be shaken awake!

Steamboat Slackwater

John, son of Jesse Pinyerd and Melvina S. Rider, was born on October 20, 1859 in Washington County, Pennsylvania.....possibly in East Bethlehem Township near Fredericktown. John's father was a blacksmith and the family moved around when John was growing up. Finally, they settled in Cumberland Township, Greene County, Pennsylvania near or at Rices Landing. By age 20, John was also a blacksmith, probably working along side his father.

How and when he met Sarah Ann Pool, down in Monongalia County, West Virginia is unknown. Perhaps he was working as a blacksmith on a steamboat and met her when the boat stopped at Morgantown...both Morgantown and Rices Landing are on the Monongahela River.

The marriage license shows that John was a blacksmith when he married Sarah the day after Christmas, December 26, 1888. John was nine years her senior. The wedding took place at Joseph Harner's home in Monongalia County, West Virginia. Joseph was Sarah's uncle through her mother's side of the family.

Sarah Ann Pool, daughter of Sampson Frum Pool and Sarah Louise Harner, was born on October 9, 1868 in the Eastern District of Monongalia County, West Virginia.

Without access to a census for 1890, it is difficult to determine the newly married Pinyerd's where abouts until 1900. Oddly, Sarah is the only one with a census enumeration in 1900. She is living on a farm in the Clinton District of Monongalia County, West Virginia....which is outside Morgantown. John is not enumerated, although she is listed as married. Her cousin, Charles Wesley Pool, is also living on the farm and helping her with the work. A guess is that John was on the river when the census enumerator knocked at the door.

North Charleroi, PA and Lock # 4
from an old postcard

In 1910, the Pinyerd's have relocated to Fourth Street, near Lock 4, North Charleroi, Pennsylvania. On this census, Sarah lists that she is the mother of one child who is no longer alive. I have not been able to find any records to date as to the birth of their child. In a Poole Family genealogy book, they are listed as the parents of a girl, Viola L. Pinyerd. Where the author found this information is a mystery. John is now employed as a boat engineer and Sarah is working as a nurse. Their house location is close to the river. John would be able to get on and off the steamboat and simply walk up Fourth Street to his home.

While living in North Charleroi, Sarah Pinyerd seemed to have a direct line to the local newspaper offices. Fortunately for me, she must have phoned in every family and friend "coming and going" from her home. I have had some exciting "finds" in these old newspapers, which are out on Ancestry. They have also been useful in piecing together other relations lives....where they lived, who they were married to, who they were visiting and their social activities. The article above tells me that John Pinyerd was almost considered a "visitor" in his own home.

The 1920 census the Pinyerds are still living on Fourth Street in North Charleroi, Pennsylvania. John is employed as an engineer on a steamboat and Sarah is a nurse at home. She has opened up her home as a maternity hospital. Pregnant women stayed in the bedrooms upstairs and Sarah took care of them before and after the delivery. A local doctor came to the house for the deliveries.

One frequent visitor to the Pinyerd home during the 1920's, was John's sister, Jennie Pinyerd Wood. I believe that Jennie and Sarah were good friends as newspaper articles list them visiting each other at various times. Jennie was also invited to numerous social gatherings at the Pinyerd home. One article also listed a Sabina Alfree from Chicago accompanying Jennie to the Pinyerd's. That lead me on a search for this lady, only to find that she was another of John's sisters....Dorcas Sabina Pinyerd Allfree.

518 Fourth Street
North Charleroi, Pennsylvania

John and Sarah are enumerated on the 1930 Pennsylvania census living at 518 Fourth Street in North Charleroi, Pennsylvania. John is employed as a marine engineer and Sarah as a nurse at a maternity hospital, which she continues to operate out of her home. John is still working at age 70 and Sarah at age 61.

John has two 1930 census enumerations! On the second one he is a lodger in Pittsburgh, on the North Side in a boarding house operated by his sister-in-law, Olive Pool Reeves. Perhaps John was staying in Pittsburgh while his boat was being unloaded. The street where Olive lived was not far from the Allegheny River.

Research done by Richard Yackly

The North Charleroi newspaper continues to mention the Pinyerd Maternity Hospital/Home throughout the 1930's. What happened to John and Sarah's relationship? Apparently they did not divorce....did they separate? Sarah remained in North Charleroi, Pennsylvania in the house on Fourth Street; however, there is a record regarding John's sister, Jennie Wood in 1938, and his address is listed in Bucyrus, Ohio. Perhaps this mystery will have a resolution when the 1940 Federal Census is released.

In fact, when John A. Pinyerd died on February 2, 1951, his address is listed as Bucyrus, Ohio. The death certificate does say "married". John was buried at Oakwood Cemetery in Bucyrus, Ohio with his two brothers, George T. Pinyerd and Uriah R. Pinyerd and their families.

Sarah Ann Pool Pinyerd died June 19, 1952 at the Charleroi-Monessen Hospital, was cremated and buried in her Pool Family plot, Mt. Union Cemetery, Route 19, Monongalia County, West Virginia.

NOTE: I have seen this surname spelled Pinyerd and Pinyard.

Sources:

- 1860 Pennsylvania Census, East Bethlehem, Washington County, page 449.
- 1870 Pennsylvania Census, Jefferson, Greene County, page 277.
- 1880 Pennsylvania Census, Cumberland, Greene County, ED 68, page 163B.
- 1900 West Virginia Federal Census, Clinton District, Monongalia County, ED 79, Sheet 5.
- 1910 Pennsylvania Census, North Charleroi, Washington County, ED 221, Sheet 5A.
- 1920 Pennsylvania Census, North Charleroi, Washington County, ED 203, Sheet 5B.
- 1930 Pennsylvania Census, North Charleroi, Washington County, ED 63-90, Sheet 21B.
- 1930 Pennsylvania Census, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, ED 392, page 2B.
- Cale, Freda Robinson, Poole Family, page 19.
- Hewitt Cemetery Listing, Rices Landing, Pennsylvania

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. All comments are welcome; however if they are inappropriate, they will not be published.

PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Treasure Chest Thursday--Martha Marie Frederick Stark Ring

2011-03-31T15:42:00.003-04:00

Another treasure from my maternal grandmother's estate. This ring probably dates back to the 1880's and 1890's. She was born in 1880 and the size of the ring appears to be a child's. Also, it is engraved "Mattie," her nickname when a child.

I can't tell what stone it is; however, my guess is a garnet. It is not her birthstone as she was born in April. There seem to be stones missing from the setting. The area surrounding the red stone might have had smaller chips....perhaps diamond chips or extremely small pearls.

There is no karat marking inside.

© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Wordless Wednesday--Spring Awakening

2011-03-30T12:39:00.003-04:00

52 Weeks of Personal Family Genealogy and History--Sweets

2011-03-29T18:52:00.006-04:00

Week # 13 Sweets. What was your favorite childhood candy or dessert? Have your tastes changed since then? What satisfies your sweet tooth today? Thank you to Amy at We Tree and Geneabloggers for sponsoring this challenge.

No question, I am genetically predisposed to sweets. Frankly, I never met a cake, pie, cookie, ice cream, donut, etc. etc. that I didn't like. Ok, let me amend that....I don't like rubarb pie.

I have posted this photo of my paternal grandmother, Sarah VanGilder Hughes, in the pink dress, back in 2009. It always puts a smile on my face when I look at it....in fact, just thinking about it lightens my spirit. Maybe that sweet tooth came from her ;-)

VanGilder Sisters posted in 2009

Tombstone Tuesday--Adelbert Clay

2011-03-29T18:26:00.006-04:00

Flipside followers will know why I captured this little tombstone with a photograph......although, it is not a tree shaped marker, it is a little piece of a tree.....a log marker ;-)

Adelbert Clay is buried in Attica Venice Cemetery, Attica, Seneca County, Ohio. After doing some research on Family Search, death certificates show that there are numerous other Clay family members also buried in Attica Cemetery. Unfortunately, I did not photograph them.

Adelbert Clay, son of Amos Clay and Meanda Easterbrook, was born in Republic, Seneca County, Ohio on September 30, 1869. I was able to locate Adelbert and his wife Mary in the 1930 Ohio census and he is listed as the owner of a gas station in Republic, Ohio. I have been through Republic countless times and there is currently a gas station at the corner of Route 18 and Route 4. There are also old buildings on Route 19 where it crosses Route 18 that could have once been gas stations. Checking earlier census reports, it appears that Adelbert was married first to a woman named Flora and they had a son, Charles D. Clay, born in April, 1899, in Ohio.

ADELBERT CLAY

Born September 30, 1869

Republic, Seneca County, Ohio

Died November 30, 1930

Republic, Seneca County, Ohio

Buried in Attica Venice Cemetery

Attica, Seneca County, Ohio

Sources:
-1900 Ohio Census, Washington, Hancock County, Ohio; Roll: T623_1284; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 77.
-1930 Ohio Census, Republic, Seneca County, Ohio; Roll: 1869; Page: 1B; Enumeration District: 33;
-Ohio Death Certificate for Adelbert Clay, Seneca County, # 68715

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. All comments are welcome; however if they are inappropriate, they will not be published.

PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

104 Carnival of Genealogy--One BIG Mistake

2011-03-28T20:50:00.008-04:00

The topic for the 104th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy will be: Cars As Stars of Our Family History II! Three years ago, on April 4, 2008, we celebrated the automobile with stories of cars that touched our hearts, made us laugh, made us cry, and best of all made us remember the (mostly ;-) good old days. That you to Creative Gene for again sponsoring the Carnival of Genealogy.

While I was doing my first blog for the COG, I was reminded of a humorous incident that occurred while I was borrowing my Dad's car.....although it wasn't so funny when it happened. The car was his red hot Chevy Impala convertible and, if my memory serves me, this happened when I was in my senior year of high school....Fall 1964.

Dad's first red convertible in 1961

My Dad had a penchant for red convertibles. His first was purchased in 1961. It was a doozie....fire engine red, with a white rag top and white leather seats. What's not to like about that!!!! LOL

Dad changed cars annually. One of his patients was a car dealer. He loved convertibles and each year there was a brand spanking new one in the driveway. Red was his color of choice.

When I turned sixteen in 1963, I longed to drive the convertible; however, that car seemed to be off limits to me......until one Fall day in 1964. I have no idea how I got the keys ....and where was Dad that day that he didn't need the car for work.

I was allowed to drive to school....let me tell you that was a REAL privilege. I picked up my best friend and off we went....top down, warm breezes blowing. It was decided that we would go home after school, change clothes and come back to the school parking lot to "hang out".

Back at school later that day, we parked the car, chatted with friends and watched some football practice. This was the era of the small Honda motorbikes and a group of our friends were circling around the parking lot, racing. I decided it might be fun to join in using Dad's convertible. It was a ball....round and round we went, laughing uproariously.

As the afternoon wore on cars pulled into the school lot....parents coming to pick up their kids from marching band, cross country and football practice. No matter....we continued to have a ball.

Perhaps I should have taken the time to look at those newly arrived cars OR perhaps I should have remembered that my younger brother, Ken, was out on that football field practicing and would need a ride home....and I was NOT the one with that responsibility.

Around 5:30, my friend and I noticed it was time to head home for dinner. After dropping her off, I drove up the street and parked Dad's car in the driveway and went inside. I was met with one mad hornet of a Mom. Yes, she had been sitting in her car in the high school parking lot watching me cruise Dad's car around the lot, chasing the motorbikes while she waited for my brother.

Needless to say, I didn't get keys to ANY car for sometime.

104th Edition Carnival of Genealogy--Cars as Stars

2011-03-26T23:05:00.023-04:00

There have been so many cars throughout the years Growing up Hughes. I was lucky to be a kid during the 50's and 60's when chrome and fins on cars were all the rage. To me the classic cars are those of this time period.

The smiling fellow waving from the window of this brand spankin new 1947 Mercury Town Sedan is my Dad. It was my parents first car and as my Mom wrote under the photograph in the old album...."The New Merc".

I can remember years back, when my Mom and I were looking at these old photos, she remarked that the car was purchased for them by her mother, Martha Marie Frederick Stark. Oddly, Mom's folks never owned a car. Her Dad got to work in Pittsburgh on the streetcar and her Mom walked uptown for shopping and also used the streetcar to get into the city. Vacations were taken in Uncle Walter's "buggy," my grandmother's name for the new fangled automobiles, or on trains.

As a doctor, recently graduated from medical school, my Dad would need transportation and I bet the car was bought before I was born in May 1947. During this time Dad was serving with the Army at Deshon Hospital in Butler, Pennsylvania, about an hour's drive or more, from family back in the Bellevue-Avalon, Pennsylvania area. Definately a good reason for a set of wheels. Also necessary to drive Baby Linda back to see her grandparents....I was the first grandchild for both the Hughes and Stark families.

I don't remember the car. I don't know how long Dad drove it. It could have moved with us in 1950 to Washington Drive, our first house, but I was too young to notice or care about the make and model of a car.

Many more autos were to follow the Merc.....mostly Chevy's as one of my Dad's patients was a Chevrolet dealer. I began to take notice of cars when Dad came home when I was 16 with HIS new red Chevy convertible. Now were talkin' ;-) Hey Dad......

Same Person???? Jessie Pool VanGilder

2011-03-25T07:00:00.001-04:00

I love to have photos of my ancestors. The coined phrase, "A picture is worth a thousand words" is certainly true for me and genealogy blogging. This week, while working on a blog about Sarah Ann Pool Pinyerd, I was scrapping the bottom of the barrel when it came to a photograph taken of her. Then I remembered a three piece group of photos sent to me by another Pool/Poole researcher, my cousin, Dr. Robert Poole Wilkins.

It was a xerox copy of a Pool Family Reunion photograph taken circa 1923. Some of the folks were identified and when he sent it to me I noticed that my paternal great grandmother, Jessie Pool VanGilder was among those named. I looked at her, measured the face up with other photos I had of her and decided that it was NOT Jessie.

This week it dawned on me that perhaps the identified woman was not Jessie, but her sister, Sarah Pool Pinyerd. I knew that Sarah was a regular attendee of the Pool Family Reunions as there were mentions of her travel to Morgantown for these events in her local newspaper.

Now I have a more sophicated photo program than when I first received the Pool Reunion photo. I rescanned the poor quality xerox, changed it into a photo of older quality and enlarged just the woman in question. The face still did not seem to be that of my great grandmother VanGilder......however, her dress caught my attention BIG TIME!

Scrolling back through my VanGilder photos I stopped at one in particular. It is a photograph of my Great grandmother VanGilder sitting beside her daughter, my grandmother, Sarah VanGilder Hughes. I can almost date the photo as Great Grandmother VanGilder's goiter is still showing and she had it removed in 1928.

However, it is the DRESS that I enlarged and studied.....the dress is the SAME on both pictures. I had to chuckle at her choice of this outfit to wear to a family reunion.....usually folks get "duded up" for such occasions....lol. However, notice that Jessie is holding a summer hat on her lap ;-)

My great grandmother probably "traveled light". She was a cook on a riverboat during the 1920's and moved around alot up and down the Monongahela River. I highly doubt that she had a large wardrobe. She probably had one good dress for church and events that became a work dress as it wore out. Maybe these two photos show the life of this particular dress.....new for the reunion and gently used for the second photo.

I guess the lesson learned here is that a photo has to be dissected when trying to identify a person.....the face is not the only identifier....and this blog has turned into the genealogy of a dress!

© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Friday Family ProFile--Sarah Ann Pool Pinyerd

2011-03-25T00:40:00.004-04:00

Several years back was thrilled to find numerous family related articles in the personal columns of local newspapers in North Charleroi and Monessen, Pennsylvania on Ancestry. The reporter was my paternal great grandaunt, Sarah Ann Pool Pinyerd. I have also seen it spelled Sarah Ann Pool Pinyard.

Known in the family as "Sallie" and "Aunt Pinny," she seemed to have a direct line to the local newspapers and each and every visitor was duly noted in the "Personal" section of the North Charleroi column. What can I say but THANK YOU Aunt Pinny.

The various news briefs gave me a snapshot into the movements up and down the Monongahela River during the early 1900's of her sister, my paternal great grandmother, Jessie Pool VanGilder. It was the basis of a brief summer trip back in 2006.

Like so many pieces of research, this one was so exciting when found and then it went back on my back burner for several years. Recently, I was jogged back into Pinyerd/Pinyard research by a fellow genealogist from Texas, who contacted me regarding his Pinyerd relation. I thank him too, as wandering around the web collaborating, I was able to locate the death certificate of Aunt Pinny's husband, John A. Pinyerd...a long missing document.

There are no descendants from the marriage of John A. Pinyerd and Sarah Ann Pool Pinyerd. I am blogging about them solely for those in my family who might be interested in knowing a little more about two interesting ancestors and because Aunt Pinny appeared to be a wee bit of a feminist.

Sarah Ann Pool, daughter of Sampson Frum Pool and Sarah Louise Harner was born in Monongalia County, West Virginia on October 9, 1868. The Pool family lived on a farm in the Morgan District outside Morgantown, West Virginia. Other than census reports, there is no document giving a clue as to Sarah's life until her marriage to John A. Pinyerd on December 28, 1887. Of interest to me is the place where the wedding ceremony took place---Sarah's maternal uncle, Joseph Harner's farm. Rev. Samuel Hitchens of the Methodist Episcopal Church performed the ceremony.

John A. Pinyerd, son of Jesse Pinyerd and Melvina S. Rider, was born on October 20, 1859 in Greene County, Pennsylvania. When John married he was listed as a blacksmith on license.

The first census for the Pinyerds in 1900 is in the Clinton District, Monongalia County, West Virginia. John is not listed, which makes me think that he is already working on a steamboat and is on the river when the enumerator came to the door. The Pinyerds own a farm free and clear of mortgage. Living with Sarah is her cousin, Charles Wesley Pool, who is working the farm for her. This census asks the woman if she has had any children and Sarah's response is no.

By 1910, the Pinyerds have moved to North Charleroi, Pennsylvania, which will be Sarah's home until her death. The house is located on Fourth Street near Lock 4 on the Monongahela River. A perfect location for John as he is able to have easy access to the steamboat. On this census Sarah's information lists that she is the mother of one child who is no longer alive. I have been told by a family member that Sarah had a baby; however it died young. Somewhere I picked up the name of Violet L. as the baby's name. John's occupation was consistently listed as a marine engineer....is that a fancy name for working on a steamboat?????

The Pinyard Home in North Charleroi
as listed in the 1930 Pennsylvania Census

In 1915, Sarah has a house at Lock 4 up for sale. According to the advertisement, it appears to be modern for the time....finished attic, cement basement floor, wired for electricity and two squares from the electric car line (streetcar). I don't know if the advertised house was sold and the Pinyerd's moved to another home on Fourth Avenue, or if it is the house she is enumerated in on the 1920 and 1930 census and pictured above.

I must make mention here, that Charleroi and North Charleroi are built into a hill rising up from the Monongahela River. When my brother and I drove up one of the streets, I had the feeling that the car would flip over from end to end. Walking up one of those streets would test the cholesterol buildup in anyones heart. It would most assuredly be advantageous to be only two streets up from the river!

Sarah was an active member of the North Charleroi community and with her family. There are countless little mentions in the local papers of various family members and friends coming and going from the Pinyerd home. Parties and club events were hosted by Sarah and her sisters appeared to actually live in the Pinyerd home for periods of time during 1915-1925. In fact, Sarah's mom, Sarah Louise Harner Pool was living with her daughter when she died on August 5, 1911.

I was thrilled to find that my paternal grandmother, Sarah VanGilder Hughes, visited her aunt in North Charleroi a couple of times before she married my grandfather.

Several of Sarah Pinyerd's community memberships listed in the local newspapers included: Victory Knitting Club, The Home and Hospital Club and the Needlecraft Club.

At some point in time, Sarah opened her home up as a maternity hospital. She is listed as a nurse, but I have no idea if she actually was a nurse that completed a degree or perhaps she was a midwife. At any rate, there are listing by 1924 of the Pinyerd Private Hospital operating out of her home. Pregnant women would come and stay in rooms in her home. She would take care of them until the baby was born and for several days following. Dr. A.S. Sickman (great name for a doctor...lol) made house calls to the Pinyerd Hospital. He was involved in an automobile accident, which was reported in the local newspaper as he was on the way to Sarah Pinyerds.

Sarah operated her home maternity hospital through 1939, at which time it was called the Pinyerd Maternity Home. According to the local newspapers, countless babies were born under Sarah's care. She was quite the entrepreneur. By my calculations, Sarah was running her home hospital from about age 50 through age 70.

Other community involvement for Sarah Pinyerd: She was appointed to the Advisory Committee for the Hospital Building Fund Campaign AND in 1925 she ran for two elected offices--School Director and City Council. She lost both.

Sarah also donated to a variety of community based organizations...among them the fire department ambulance fund and the flood relief fund. From the various newspaper articles she was generous with everyone....family, community and friends. She gave of herself, her home and her income. Truly, someone to be admired.

When when I interviewed one of her grandnieces, she replied......"Aunt Pinny kept an immaculate home. She would put newspaper on the floor to catch any droppings when children were at her home and having food at the table. There was also a feeling that she had one child who died when they were infants or very young. Aunt Pinny served her patients off her Limoges china."

After doing research on several of the "Pool Women," those girls raised in the home of Sampson Frum Pool and Sarah Louise Harner Pool....I must say they had true grit. Sarah's sisters lost husbands early in their marriages either to death or divorce and made their way in the early 1900's, when there were no safety nets provided for wives or children....ie life insurance, etc.

Sarah remained married, although I don't think that her husband was present much of the time. Or, if he was, she was an independent spirit...she had her own business, entertained and traveled during much of their married life. I noticed that there is very little mention of her husband in the local newspapers.

Before her death she was a patient at the Pugh Nursing Home in Morgantown, West Virginia and she died at age eighty-three at the Charleroi-Monessen Hospital on June 19, 1952. She was cremated and her ashes were interred along with her Pool family at Mt. Union Cemetery, north of Morgantown, West Virginia. I have visited that cemetery and there is no tombstone.

Her husband, John A. Pinyerd, predeceased her on February 2, 1951, at age ninety-one in Bucyrus, Ohio and he was buried with some of his family in Oakwood Cemetery. Several of John's brother's lived in Bucyrus. It is unknown if Sarah and John were separated or perhaps he was visiting in Bucyrus and died. His death certificate lists that he is married; however, Sarah and John are buried in separate cemeteries in separate states.

A timeline for Sarah Ann Pool Pinyerd on timetoast.

Sources:

-1900 West Virginia Federal Census, Clinton District, Monongalia County, ED 79, Sheet 5.

-1910 Pennsylvania Federal Census, North Charleroi Borough, Washington County, ED 221, Sheet 5A.

-1920 Pennsylvania Federal Census, North Charleroi Borough, Washington County, ED 203, Sheet 5B.

-1930 Pennsylvania Federal Census, North Charleroi Borough, Washington County, ED 63-90, Sheet 21B.

-Monongalia County, West Virginia Register of Births, Eastern District, Year 1868, page 115. (For Sarah Ann Pool)

-Ohio Death Certificate, John A. Pinyerd, Crawford County # 07274.

-Obituary of Sarah A. Pinyerd, The Charleroi Mail, Charleroi, Pennsylvania, Monday, June 23, 1952, page 6.

-The Charleroi Mail, Charleroi, Pennsylvania. Numerous articles found on Ancestry.com.

-The Monessen Independent, Monessen, Pennsylvania. Numerous articles found on Ancestry.com.

-West Virginia Marriage Records, Monongalia County, Book 2, page 166.

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. All comments are welcome; however if they are inappropriate, they will not be published.

PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Treasure Chest Thursday--Andrew Jackson Brice Medal

2011-03-24T07:00:00.001-04:00

Andrew Jackson Brice, born about 1921 in Pennsylvania, was the son of Andrew E. and Emma C.Brice. The family is enumerated on the 1930 Pennsylvania census and are living on 925 Jackman Avenue in Avalon, a town in the Pittsburgh area on the Ohio River.

I found nothing on the web regarding Jack Brice and his football accident at Avalon High School back in 1937. Perhaps it has been lost in history. I am not living close enough to Pittsburgh to go through the local Bellevue-Avalon newspapers to have a better understanding of the events leading up to and following Jack's death.

Both of my parents attended Avalon High School and likely were friends with Jack. Especially my Dad, as he was the quarterback for the school's football team and was present when the accident occured. Jackman Avenue is near the street where Dad lived and isn't that far from the house where Mom grew up. Certainly, if Jack is enumerated at age 8 on the census, he probably attended school with Mom and Dad until his death.

My rembrance of this event was that Jack suffered a head injury during football game and died. As Dad once told me, it was back in the days when there was very little protective gear for a football player to wear...especially head gear.

As a memorial to Jack, the athletic department decided to award the best football player each year with the Jack Brice Medal. The first one, given in 1938, was awarded to my Dad, George VanGilder Hughes.

Avalon H.S.GEORGE HUGHES1938

JACK BRICEMEMORIALMEDAL
Rest in Peace Andrew Jackson Brice
Died October 12, 1937

Sources:

- 1930 Pennsylvania Census, Avalon, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Page 5A, Enumeration District 494.
- Avalon High School Annual, Class of 1939, Avalon, Pennsylvania.

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. All comments are welcome; however if they are inappropriate, they will not be published.

PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Marriage License--George Henry Hughes and Sarah Margaret VanGilder

2011-03-18T07:00:00.005-04:00

Proof positive....if you wait long enough....it will someday appear online! Just found this on the West Virginia marriage documents website...WAHOO....my paternal grandparents..aka Grams and Pop Pop.

What's in a Name?

If there was ever any doubt that Grams decided at some point in time during her life that the spelling "Sara" was more dramatic than "Sarah"....this is it. She was "Sarah" when she married and I have "Sarah" when she was born; however, over the years it became "Sara" and "Sara" it stayed.

During my years of family research I have "caught" her having "fun" rewriting history with "new" names. For instance, my Dad, her son, always thought that her middle name was Margaretta, not Margaret....AND....she decided to "change" the spelling of her maiden name from VanGilder to VanGuilder. All of my Dad's documents have VanGuilder as his middle name rather than VanGilder.

Actually, she also tweeked her other son, John Aiden Hughes' name....in England it is spelled Aidan....in fact Aidan is heavily scattered throughout the West Hartlepool Hughes lineage due to the fact that they lived and attended St. Aiden's parish.

And, now that I think of it....she even had fun with my name....my nickname has always been Lin or Lindee and Grams would write it Lynn.

Grams was a fun loving, warm hearted woman....the grandmother any grandchild would beg to go visit....and I did. As I have blogged before, it was not unusual for me as an elementary school girl to jump on my bike and pedal from our house over to Bellevue (about 3 1/2 miles) and simply arrive, unannounced.

So in my mind, who cares about name changes, we aren't talking Romeo and Juliet here,
"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."

......name....smame.....LOVE THAT GRAMS !

George Henry Hughes and Sara VanGilder Hughes Tombstone Tuesday

© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

St. Patrick's Day--McGoey Marriage License

2011-03-17T18:16:00.004-04:00

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY

2011-03-17T10:06:00.003-04:00

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY

My Irish roots:

Orr--maternal side
McElroy--paternal side

Stories in Stone--C. Heinze

2011-03-16T16:31:00.017-04:00

This past week I was sitting in Cumin, a delightful Nepalese/Indian restaurant in Wicker Park, a Chicago neighborhood, having a sumptuous lunch buffet when I noticed a "Story in Stone" right across the street. Atop the windows in stone, C. Heinze and the date 1878

Usually I don't make a habit of researching a Story in Stone in a large city as I have found that it becomes too difficult to nail down the family. With a surname like Heinze, though, I thought I might have at least a chance even in a city the size of Chicago. And I was right!

The Heinze store is located across from Cumin on North Milwaukee Avenue. I did not take a close-up of the number on the Heinze building; however Cumin is listed as 1414 North Milwaukee Avenue. When I located the family of Charles Heinze, a butcher, in the 1880 Illinois Census, the address listed was 1067 Milwaukee. This is the only C. Heinze in the Chicago area in 1880. Building numbers do change from decade to decade as additional houses and shops are built, so this address could well be what is today listed as 1415 Milwaukee Avenue.

In 1880, the Heinze family was living in an apartment building with several other families. One is a baker and one is a grocer. It makes me wonder if they all had a grocery business together in the Heinze Building or if Charles ran his butcher shop out of that store front alone. Looking at the size of the building, it would be possible for several families to live in the rooms above the shop.

The census also lists that Charles two sons, Herman and Henry are also butchers and young Charles was a butcher apprentice. It was a family business.

Charles Heinze born about 1821 in Prussia
Wilhelmine Grusches Heinze born about 1823 in Prussia

The Family of Charles Heinze and Wilhelmine Grusches:

1. Herman Heinze b. Oct 26, 1853 in either Wisconsin or Illinois. d. Jan 16, 1926, Chicago, IL. Buried at Rosehill Cemetery, Chicago, IL. Made his living as a butcher.

2. Henry Heinze b. 1955 in Chicago, IL. d. Mar 16, 1928 at Bremen, IL. Buried in Chicago, IL. Made his living as a butcher.

3. Charles Heinze (Charles M. Heinze) b. Jan 14, 1864, Chicago, IL. d. Aug 17, 1928, Chicago, IL. Buried at Rosehill Cemetery, Chicago, IL. Made his living as a butcher.

4. Agnes Heinze b. 1872, Illinois.

5. Lillie Heinze (Lillian C. Heinze) b. Nov 1, 1873, Chicago,IL. d. Jan 28, 1946 Chicago, IL. Never married. Buried at Holy Sepulchre, Worth, IL.

6. Willie Heinze b. 1876 Illinois.

I was able to follow Charles, Jr. and his brother Herman through the early 1900 Chicago censuses. They worked as butchers and Herman, who never married, lived with his younger brother Charles until their deaths. The address listed on the 1910 and 1920 census was 1415 Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, IL. The brothers were operating a butcher shop out of the store front in the Heinze Building. Henry continued to work as a butcher, but not in Chicago.

I was not able to locate death records for Charles and Wilhelmine, nor a marriage record for Agnes.

Sources:
-1880 Census, Chicago, Cook, Illinois; Roll: 196; Page: 438A; Enumeration District: 150.

-1900 Census, Chicago Ward 14, Cook, Illinois; Roll: T623_261; Page: 17A; Enumeration District: 418.

-1910 Census, Chicago Ward 16, Cook, Illinois; Roll: T624_259; Page: 1A; Enumeration District: 0768.

-1920 Censue, Chicago Ward 16, Cook (Chicago), Illinois; Roll: T625_327; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 957.

-Heinze, Charles, Illinois, Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947. Digital Folder Number: 4206135, Image Number: 2820 , Film Number: 1892224, Volume/Page/Certificate Number: rn 24892.

-Heinze, Henry, Illinois, Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947. Digital Folder Number: 4008217, Image Number: 1402, Film Number: 1614308, Volume/Page/Certificate Number: cn 9158.

-Heinze, Herman, Illinois, Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947. Digital Folder Number: 4204779, Image Number: 1575, Film Number: 1877729, Volume/Page/Certificate Number: rn 1495.

-Heinze, Lillian C., Illinois, Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947. Digital Folder Number: 4005309, Image Number: 755, Film Number: 1985094, Volume/Page/Certificate Number: Item 1 cn 3207.

© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Lost and Found--Grandma Fletcher

2011-03-07T07:00:00.004-05:00

Nancy Stewart Fletcher

This is another photograph I purchased while on vacation at Cheat Lake, West Virginia in 2010. It took a little detective work to figure out who this woman was. First, I did purchase a photo of May and Maggie (Margaret) Hicks Devine. The back of this photo lists this woman as Grandma Fletcher, Margaret Devine's mother.

According to the West Virginia marriage licenses, May and Margaret's mother was Samatha Hicks nee Fletcher. She was born about 1867 in West Virginia. Much too young to be 71 in 1903. I looked her up on census reports and found that Samatha's mother was Nancy Fletcher, who is probably the woman pictured above. Nancy Fletcher was born in 1832, which would make her 71 in 1903. According to West Virginia census reports, she was alive until 1910.

Now, for her maiden name. I tried the brothers of their mother hoping that they stayed in West Virginia and had a death certificate on line and VOILA....one did. Nancy's maiden name was listed as Stewart.

Grandmother Fletcher
Margaret Devine's mother
age 71
March 6, 1903

I believe that this is Nancy Stewart Fletcher, Margaret Devine's maternal grandmother.

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. All comments are welcome; however if they are inappropriate, they will not be published.

PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Fearless Females-- #6 Heirlooms

2011-03-06T07:00:00.000-05:00

I have quite a collection of sterling silver spoons that belonged to my Frederick family ancestors. They were probably used for tea service as I have only teaspoons.

This one is beautifully embellished with flowers and scrolls on the front and back.

Clearly marked sterling silver and the maker's mark is identified in "Kovels' American Silver Marks" as Simpson, Hall, Miller & Co. (1866-1898). Spoons in sterling silver after were made after 1895. The company was located in Wallingford, Connecticut and later became International Silver Company.

The green star is beside the maker's mark and the red star is beside a letter "D" which would be the year the spoon was made. Unfortunately, my identification book does not give that information.

Source:
Kovel, Ralph and Terry. Kovels' American Silver Marks, Crown Publishers, New York, New York, 1961, page 340.

© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Fearless Females--#5 How Did They Meet

2011-03-05T07:00:00.005-05:00

The Marriage of Christian Invart Olesen and Ferdinande Weiss
West Hartlepool, Durham County, England
There are no pictures or stories that have filtered down through the years that I am aware of. Great Great Grandmother Olesen did come to the United States and lived with my Great Grandmother Hughes until her death. I have been told some stories and memories of "Granny Olesen" by my Dad and Aunt....however, none of her husband and marriage.

Looking at the the 1871 England census, Frederick was deceased and Ferdinande had opened up their home as a boarding house. Note that Christian Olesen was a boarder in the Weiss home....maybe the romance began there ;-)

© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Fearless Females--#4 Marriage Records

2011-03-04T07:00:00.003-05:00

This has been a good one for me to do. After searching around for marriage records and reviewing my previous blogs, I noticed that I have never posted the wedding information of my paternal great great grandparents, Christian Invart Olesen and Ferdinande Weiss. When I opened their file in my laptop....it wasn't in there! I had never scanned it.

Christian Invart Olesen, son of Ole Tonne Olesen of Denmark, was a master mariner and ship's chandler. At the time of their marriage, Christian was eleven years older than Ferdinande. Ferdinande, daughter of Frederick Heindrich Adolph Weiss and Ferdinande Lehman, had lived in West Hartlepool, England for almost fifteen years before she married. Frederick was gainfully employed as a banker or broker.

The wedding took place on August 30, 1874 in the parish church in the area where they lived in West Hartlepool....Christ Church. The church is still standing; however, it now houses an art museum.

Both of my great grandparents were literate and were able to sign their names. The witnesses were: Adolph Herman W. Weiss, Ferdinande's brother and Mary E. Middlemiss, the woman that Adolph would marry.

© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Fearless Females--#3 What's in a Name?

2011-03-03T07:00:00.001-05:00

Queen Elizabeth Frederick....how regal is that! Queen is my maternal first cousin twice removed. Born on May 31, 1877 in Indiana, she was the daughter of William Jackson Frederick and Emma Hipkins.

I was able to find this listing of school graduates for Queen and her sister, Edith.

Queen's father was a well known and respected citizen in Garrett, Indiana. He served as mayor for a time. They had a nice lifestyle with a home in Garrett and a summer retreat at Oakwood Park on Lake Wawasee, Indiana. Queen was at her father's bedside during an illness as evidenced in the newsclipping above.

From various newspaper articles that were sent to me, it appears that the Frederick family remained close although separated by distance. There were family reunions and visits to the family homes. Apparently my maternal grand uncle, William Walter Frederick (known as Walter) was a visitor to his uncle William Jackson Frederick's home in Garrett, Indiana and was close with his cousin Queen and her sister Edith. The newspaper clipping above shows that the two girls took a train to Youngstown to be with Walter when he became ill, only to arrive to late as he died from typhoid fever on February 24, 1899.

On October 26, 1901 in Auburn, DeKalb County, Indiana, she married Charles Henry Abell. Two sons were born to this union; Charles Frederick Abell, born on November 8, 1909 in Garrett, DeKalb County, Indiana and William Frederick Abel, born on December 5, 1914 in Garrett, DeKalb County, Indiana. William died two years later and is buried at Lakeview Cemetery, Kendallville, Noble County, Indiana.

Charles Henry Abell was gainfully employed in Garrett as a coal merchant. He served on numerous town committees and events. The family had a summer home in Rome City, Indiana on Sylvan Lake where they entertained family and friends. On May 28, 1928 at the age of 48 and was buried at Lakeview Cemetery, Kendallville, Noble County, Indiana.

Photo used by permission of Kennetta Lemon
Queen died on 15 Jan 1978, at the age of 100 at Marion, Grant County, Indiana. She is buried at Lakeview Cemetery, Kendallville, Noble County, Indiana along with many family members.

-Queen Elizabeth Frederick Abell on Find A Grave
-Biography of Queen's father, William Jackson Frederick

© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Fearless Females--#2 Photo of Ancestor

2011-03-02T07:21:00.010-05:00

I have gone back through two years of blogs and don't think I have posted this photo in the past. Pictured in a glam pose is my mother, Martha Jean Stark Hughes, on Palm Sunday, 1945. The photo was probably taken in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, perhaps on the University of Pittsburgh campus as Dad was finishing up medical school there at that time.

Unlocking a memory: I note that Mom is wearing a corsage to mark the day. Throughout all my years Growing Up Hughes, there was always a corsage from Dad.....special occasions deserved to be celebrated with flowers. If Mom and Dad were going out....church or dinner, it was a corsage, if not, then a bouquet. And, when I was old enough, I had a corsage to wear too.

© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Lost and Found--May Hicks and Margaret Hicks Devine

2011-03-02T07:00:00.005-05:00

May Hicks sitting and Margaret Hicks Devine standing

May Hicks and Margaret Hicks Devine pictured in this photo postcard, perhaps circa 1925 as both ladies appear to have wedding bands on their ring finger. The Hick's sisters were daughters of William Stidger Hicks and Samatha B. Fletcher. Eva May was born on February 26, 1895 and Margaret (Maggie) on November 9, 1897, both in Cameron, Marshall County, West Virginia. The Hicks lived on a farm in Cameron, Marshall County, West Virginia in the 1900 and 1910 census. By 1920 the family had relocated to Liberty, Ohio County, West Virginia.

The children of William Stidger Hicks and Samantha B. Fletcher;
1. Eva May Hicks
2. Margaret B. Hicks
3. John W. Hicks
4. Elmer C. Hicks
5. Rhea M. Hicks

Margaret Hicks married John Garfield Devine on April 9, 1921 at Woodsdale, Wheeling, West Virginia. The 1930 Pennsylvania census lists the couple living in Waynesburg, Greene County, Pennsylvania. The Devines are listed as having a daughter, Harriet Devine, age 19. From various records I have been able to locate, it appears that John had a first marrige to Jennie Fordyce on February 16, 1907 in Monongalia County, West Virginia and Harriet is his daughter from that union. John is employed as a drilling contractor with an oil and gas company.

Eva May Hicks married Luster Parsons on January 19, 1923 at Cameron, Marshall County, West Virginia. The Parsons settled in Cameron, Marshall County West Virginia, where Luster farmed. On the 1930 West Virginia census, the Parsons have a daughter, Freda Virginia born on December 30,1926 in Cameron, Marshall County, West Virginia.

Photo postcard was purchased at an antique store in Cheat Lake, West Virginia on a vacation, July 2010. I am not related to this family.

Sources:
-1900 West Virginia Census, Cameron, Marshall, West Virginia; Roll: T623_1765; Page: 3B; Enumeration District: 67

- 1930 Pennsylvania Census, Waynesburg, Greene, Pennsylvania; Roll: 2044; Page: 4B; Enumeration District: 29. (for John Garfield Devine)

-1930 West Virginia Census, Cameron, Marshall County, West Virginia; Roll: 2543, Page: 8A;
Enumeration District: 2. (for Luster Parsons)

-Birth Records, Cameron, Marshall County, West Virginia.

-World War I Draft Registration, Monongalia County, West Virginia; Roll: 1992863; Draft Board: 0.

-World War II Draft Registration, National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington, D.C.; State Headquarters: Pennsylvania; Microfilm Series: M1951; Microfilm Roll: 71.

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. All comments are welcome; however if they are inappropriate, they will not be published.

PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Fearless Females--#1 Favorite Female Ancestor

2011-03-01T19:59:00.017-05:00

Lisa over at The Accidental Genealogist is once again sponsoring Fearless Females honoring female ancestors during Women's History Month. Thank you Lisa.
This year I have decided to honor my maternal great grandmother, Lucinda Bell Orr Frederick as my favorite female ancestor. I never knew Great Grandmother Frederick and have never talked with anyone who did. Her youngest daughter, Martha Marie Frederick, my maternal grandmother, saved photographs and perhaps some of her mother's jewelry. The photos picture a woman with an engaging face, always beautifully dressed and one shows her holding a small kitten on her lap. What's not to like about that! ;-)

The Frederick's were the very first branch I researched when I began my genealogy obsession back in the 1990's. Frankly, they were pretty easy. Both the Frederick and Orr families were from Columbiana County, Ohio and that area had a VERY active genealogy club with numerous publications, even back in 1990.

The marriage record for Lucinda Orr and Alfred Frederick was listed in one of the books as was their final resting place. Columbiana County, Ohio is only about a two hour drive from my house and it wasn't too long after learning more about them, that I was on my way to Columbiana, Ohio.

Lucinda Bell OrrCarte d'visite circa 1860
Lucinda Bell Orr was born in Elkrun Township, Columbiana County, Ohio on June 29, 1844. She was the daughter of William Morlan Orr and Nancy Cannon. Lou was the youngest child and joined a brother, Matthew Thomas Orr and three sisters; Elizabeth, Mary A. and Margaret C. The Orr's lived on a farm which was part of a parcel of land owned by William's father, Joseph Orr.

Lucinda's father died on February 11, 1849 when she was only five years old. About one year later, her mother married a farm hand, Elijah McCormick. On March 24, 1859 Lou's sister, Mary died. She was buried beside their father in Carlisle Cemetery, Elkrun Township, Columbiana County, Ohio.

When interviewing various Frederick family members over the years, I did learn that the Orr and Bell families were once friends. They both lived in Elkrun Township in the mid 1800's. Lucinda is enumerated with a Bell family on the 1860 census and it has only been recently that I found out that her middle initial "B" stands for Bell.

Alfred F. Frederick and Lucinda Bell Orr FrederickCarte d'visite circa 1880's
On October 22, 1868, Lucinda married Alfred F. Frederick in Columbiana County, Ohio. The couple settled in Franklin Square, Columbiana County, Ohio and began to raise a family, Albert L., William Walter, Robert Bell, Edna May and Martha Marie (my maternal grandmother).

Alfred was gainfully employed with the railroad most of his adult life. The Frederick's seemed to enjoy a good life. Photographs show nicely dressed individuals and I have a collection of engraved sterling silver spoons that may have been used for tea. There are also numerous pieces of engraved jewelry, pocket watches and glassware.

I was told by one of my Frederick cousins that Lucinda had an entire collection of Three Faces (also known as Three Sisters, Three Graces, and Three Fates) glassware made in Pittsburgh by the George Duncan and Sons....now highly collectible. When Lucinda died, the collection was given to her son, Robert. His wife did not want the glassware and packed it all up and gave it to the Salvation Army!

Lucinda never worked outside the home. It is said that she was a good cook and I have a hunch she was also an excellent seamstress. The detail work on all the women's clothing in the family photographs indicate that she was a superior dressmaker. Lucinda's mother, Nancy Cannon Orr, earned a living as a tailoress and her paternal grandfather, Joseph Orr, was a tailor. I know, first hand, that her daughter, Martha, was an excellent seamstress as she sewed for me.

Lucinda and kitten
Between 1896-1898, the Frederick family moved from Columbiana County, Ohio to Alleheny County, Pennsylvania.

In 1898, Lou's husband was involved in a train accident in Youngstown, Ohio, losing one of his legs. Alfred did survive. The following year, the Frederick family suffered a great tragedy on February 24, 1899 when William Walter, known as Walter, died in Youngstown, Ohio from typhoid fever. He is buried near his parents in Columbiana Cemetery, Columbiana County, Ohio.

Lucinda died on December 15, 1909 in Bellevue, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania from heart disease and bronchial asthma. She is buried beside her husband at Columbiana Cemetery, Columbiana County, Ohio (formerly known as Firestone Cemetery).

I wish I could have known her.

Other Blogs on Flipside regarding Lucinda:
-Tombstone Tuesday: Alfred and Lucinda Frederick
-Frederick Spoon

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. All comments are welcome; however if they are inappropriate, they will not be published.

PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Tombstone Tuesday--LeBon

2011-03-01T07:30:00.002-05:00

I am hoping to make more short trips to the Forest Park Cemetery (formerly known as Waldheim Cemetery) in Forest Park, Illinois. I have never found so many of these tree shaped tombstones in one place.

I visited a week ago and the ground was snow covered. A little research on this tombstone--A Lebon--proved to be Alexander LeBon. I was able to locate his death certificate on Family Search and then jumped over to ancestry to find out some additional information.

There is a family tree out on ancestry and the owner has posted photographs of the smaller tombstones located in front of the tree marker. Had I been able to see them (remember they were covered in snow), my research would not have been necessary ;-)

Credit to Mary Walker who has taken the photos of the two individual markers.

ALEXANDER LEBON
Born: February 5, 1858, Couillet, Belgium
Died: March 27, 1925, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
Alexander was the son of Bask Elima Lebon and Mary Karece, both born in Couillet, Belgium. Alexander was employed with the Chicago Public School system as a janitor. He was buried at Waldheim Cemetery, now Forest Park Cemetery on March 30, 1925.

CLARISSE ROBERT LEBON
Born: March 1858, Belgium
Died: 1927, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
Clarisse, known as Clara, does not have a very long paper trail to follow. Although her place of death is listed as Chicago out on ancestry, I was not able to locate a death certificate for her. I did try various spellings of Lebon, which did not prove to be helpful. Her maiden name, Robert, was also taken from the family tree information posted on the net. Clara was listed as a dressmaker on the 1900 and 1910
Illinois census.

Alexander and Clarisse were married in Belgium in 1883 and immigrated to the United States on the ship Noordland arriving on November 14, 1884 from Antwerp, Belgium. They made their home on Robey Avenue, in Harvey, Thornton Township, Cook County, Illinois.

Sources:
-Illinois, Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947, Family Search on line, Digital Folder Number: 4152610, Image Number: 1665, Film Number: 1877718, Volume/Page/Certificate Number: rn 9022.

-Ancestry.com family tree of Mary Walker.

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. All comments are welcome; however, if they are inappropriate, they will not be published.

PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Frederick Dead End?

2011-02-28T11:10:00.003-05:00

Over the past few months I have been traveling to and from Chicago, almost on a weekly basis. There has been little time for genealogy research and blogging. However last week, I entered another Frederick name into the Family Search search engine and was rewarded with some new information.

In my seemingly never ending attempt to find direct family members in this line of mine, I either have hit brick walls or dead ends. This might also be just that...another dead end.

I have blogged about my happy dance back in the fall regarding my grand uncle, Albert L. Frederick also listed as Burt L. Frederick, when I found his death certificate on Family Search.

My latest find was the untimely death of his daughter, Sarah Frederick, at age 21 on December 26, 1927. Sarah was the only child of Burt and his second wife, Louise Saltzer. Sarah's death ends that branch.....

A yellow highlighter would have been sooo much better...lol
........but, maybe not. Well over a decade ago, I was sent some handwritten Frederick family genealogy. The papers were written circa 1909 and Raymond Frederick is listed as Burt's son by his first marriage. In fact, Burt's second marriage and daughter, Sarah, are not listed in this genealogy. Burt does show his marriage to Louise in 1904, as his second on the 1910 Illinois Census.

So, the brick wall continues....who was Burt's first wife? Did he have a son named Raymond Frederick? Did that marriage end in divorce? Where did Raymond Frederick go? Where is Burt in 1900? Why did the 1890 census burn????

Descendants of Alfred Frederick and Lucinda Orr Frederick:

1. Alfred L. Frederick--maybe a son, Raymond Frederick
2. Walter William Frederick--died as a young man
3. Robert Bell Frederick--I am in contact with one descendant
4. Edna Mae Frederick--one daughter, no children
5. Martha Marie Frederick--my line

Raymond Frederick, son of Albert L. Frederick.....did you exist and are your descendants out there????

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. All comments are welcome; however, if they are inappropriate, they will not be published.

PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Lost and Found--Archie Holleran

2011-02-25T19:10:00.002-05:00

Archie Holleran
Thank you to Leslie over at Lost Family Treasures who has inspired me to also poke through antique stores looking for family items that might find a home through a blog article. I found this photo in an antique store in the Cheat Lake area of West Virginia during a vacation over July 4th, 2010.

The back of the photo is marked, "Archie Holleran." I turned to ancestry and was able to locate an Archie McGuffie Holleran, who could be the man pictured.

Archie McGuffie Holleran was born on April 14, 1880 in Venetia, Washington County, Pennsylvania the son of John and Elizabeth Holleran. I believe that Elizabeth's maiden name is McGuffie. Archie lists his employment as music teacher on his World War I draft registration. John and Elizabeth raised their family on a farm in Peters Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania.

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. All comments are welcome; however, if they are inappropriate, they will not be published.

PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Victorian Architecture--Coffin Corner

2011-02-09T14:07:00.013-05:00

I have made many trips inside older homes....even lived in one for about a decade; however, an architectural feature called the "coffin corner" was new to me.

Today we had the pleasure of touring the Jane Addams Hull-House now sandwiched by the campus of University of Illinois Chicago. Having been a sociology major back in the day, this was an exciting feature to my last day here this week.

As the placard states, the coffin corner is a niche added to the top of the stairs in Victorian homes to aid in the removal of the coffin. Back in those days, folks usually died at home and the body was laid out in the parlor on the first floor. The niche gave a little "wiggle room" in maneuvering the coffin around the bend in the upstairs hallway and down the stairs.

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. All comments are welcome; however, if they are inappropriate, they will not be published.

PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Happy Birthday Uncle John

2011-02-07T18:13:00.008-05:00

Tombstone Tuesday--The Bruhns Boys

2011-01-25T07:00:00.001-05:00

Here is another tree tombstone I found recently at Forest Home Cemetery in Forest Park, Illinois....just west of Chicago.

What really captured my attention is that the tree branches actually curl around the trunk. I have never seen that until this particular marker. As you can see the attention to detail is exceptional.

LOUIS BRUHNS
October 6, 1860
April 22, 1889

WILLIAM BRUHNS
May 11, 1858
August 11, 1865

Unfortunately, my research on these two boys lead me nowhere.

© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Jessie Alvin Love: Man of Mystery

2011-01-24T18:33:00.012-05:00

Time Line of Jesse Alvin Love
This mystery man belongs to the tree of my son's fiancee. Jessie Alvin Love, the son of John Wesley Love and Jennie A. Roberts, was born on January 8, 1884 in Waterford, Washington County, Ohio.

There is a lack of family information surrounding Jesse and I am attempting to recreate his story through the meager research I have been able to find online. Apparently, Jesse did "something," was sued and then had a warrant posted for both he and his wife, Minnie. What is known: Jesse's father, John Wesley Love never spoke of his son again and did not want him to ever visit.

First, the family members now living are not clear as to the crime Jesse committed. The warrant was posted in the local newspaper in Zanesville Ohio and there is where I have been able to ferret out the majority of my information. And second, where did Jesse, Minnie and their young daughter, Loretta disappear to? Perhaps when the 1940 census reports are released, they can be tracked past 1930. Social Security Death records show that both Minnie and Loretta died in Maryland.

An added confusion was that I found what appeared to be two Jesse Love's who lived in the Zanesville, Ohio area. Searching for the name in the Zanesville newspapers, I kept running into a Jesse who did not match up with my family information. A quick check of the 1930 census produced a second man named Jesse Love. The difference is their middle names. The second man is Jesse Kyle Love and he lived with his family in McConnelville, Morgan County, Ohio....down river from Zanesville.

Jesse Alvin Love is enumerated with his parents through the 1910 Ohio Federal census. At age 26he is listed as not employed, although perhaps he is working on the family farm and not engaged in employment outside his home.

When he married Minnie Bell Marshall, daughter of Richard Webster Marshall and Atha Linda Beam on January 17, 1915, Jesse was a resident of Parkersburg, Wood County, West Virginia. Unfortuately, the wedding certificate does not list his employment. The marriage was held at the bride's home and conducted by A.V. Vondersmith, pastor of the First U.B. Church in Parkersburg, West Virginia. Jesse misrepresents his age on the certificate stating that he is 26, when in reality he is 31. Minnie Bell Marshall was born on July 28, 1894 in Mineral Wells, Wood County, West Virginia.

One child Loretta Amelia Love February 11, 1916 in Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio.In 1949 she married William Hiram Dewey.

Evidence on Jesse's World War I draft registration card shows that he is married, living at 451 Clark Street, Zanesville, Muskingum County, Ohio and is employed as a shipping clerk with the Mosaic Tile Company in Zanesville.

The 1920 Ohio Census reveals that Jesse was promoted to a foreman position with the Mosiac Company. The family is still living at 451 Clark Street.

By 1930 the Love family was living at 255 Yale Street in Zanesville and Jesse appears to be with a paint company, perhaps as a traveling salesman.

The December 18,1929 a front page article appeared in The Zanesville Signal, a local newspaper announcing that Jesse A. Love is sueing Knight K. Culver and Ray W. Renshaw. Jesse contends that he was swindled by these two above mentioned men who entered into an agreement with him to purchase his interest in his patented formula for a preservative to be used on various exterior building materials. Love is asking for $50,000 for the formula and an additonal $25,000 in damages.

Of special interest is the name of Knight K. Culver, one of the men that Jesse sued. There is an abundance of information on Knight on the net. He was a man of great wealth, building a grand home in the Bexley area outside Columbus, Ohio. He founded the Dart Manufacturing Company, later known as Culver Air Craft Company.

There are numerous notices in the local paper during the month of January, 1930 from Jesse A. Love regarding his law suit.

The family story that has been passed down through generations was that Jesse was involved in something illegal or was being prosecuted for some infraction of the law.

From the information I have found I think that Jesse may have been a swindler to sorts and he filed a law suit in 1929 for $75,ooo against two men. The discrepancy involved a patent for stucco covering and Jesse was suing them for his portion of the company. Later there was a suit filed against Jesse and his wife, Minnie. It appears that this law suit was for money they owed on their property in Zanesville. In March 1931 a warrant for the arrest of Jessie and Minnie was listed in the local newspaper.

Here ends the trail for Jesse.

Minnie Bell Marshall Love died on October 3, 1988 in Edgewater, Anne Arundel, Maryland. Loretta Amelia Love Dewey died on February 2, 1985 in Michelville, Maryland.

Anyone who is also working on this piece of family history or who may know the whole story....please contact me.

In case the time line for Jesse Alvin Love does not appear at the top of the blog you can access it on TimeToast.

All documentation for this blog is also on Jesse's timeline.

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. All comments are welcome; however, if they are inappropriate, they will not be published.

PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Treasure Chest Thursday--George Henry Hughes Certificate of Baptism

2011-01-20T07:00:00.005-05:00

Baptism record of my paternal grandfather, George Henry Hughes

George Henry Hughes, son of John George and Elizabeth Ferdinande Hughes. Was baptised at St. Aidan's Church, West Hartlepool [England] on Easter Sunday, April 10, 1898.

Sponsors:

John George Hughes (his father)
Samuel Hughes (paternal uncle)
Mary Ann Hughes (either his paternal grandmother or his paternal aunt)

Signed: William J. Knowlden , Vicar

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. All comments are welcome; however, if they are inappropriate, they will not be published.

PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Wordless Wednesday--One Powerful Thirst

2011-01-19T16:37:00.002-05:00

Tombstone Tuesday--Arno and Hedwig Voss

2011-01-18T18:04:00.012-05:00

On my way to Loyola Hospital I decided to make a brief stop at a local cemetery. For weeks I had seen a specific tombstone from the Eisenhower Expressway and wanted a closer look. The marker in question was one shaped like a tree trunk. Readers of Flipside know that I have a penchant for them.

The cemetery is Forest Home Cemetery, Forest Park, Cook County, Illinois and what a find it was. Some day I would like to come back and spend days wandering around. The sculptural art is superb.

Today I was able to snap about six markers in the shape of tree trunks. Featured here is one for Arno and Hedwig Voss. Unfortunately, I am not fluent in German; however some research out on ancestry and family search provided me with some dates. Google books was a gold mine as Arno Voss, a local Chicago attorney, Colonel with the 12th Illinois Calvary Regiment in the Civil War and senator in the Illinois General Assembly, has numerous mentions in Chicago history books.

Hedwig Voss has an illuminating paragraph on page 149 of Wendy Hamand Venet's book, "Midwestern Women: Work, Community, Leadership at the Crossroads", found in google books. Hedwig was a writer and active in her community and at the German Old People's Home, where she later lived. She was a conservative voice in her neighborhood and Chicago.

ARNO VOSS
Born
circa 1819
Germany
Died
Looks like March 23, 1888
Oak Park, Cook County, Illinois

HEDWIG VOSS
Born
April, 1827
Germany
Died
October 17, 1905
Oak Park, Cook County, Illinois

Arno Voss letter regarding the German Old Peoples Home, "Altenheim". Hedwig Voss, a widow on the 1900 Illinois Census, is a resident of Altenheim and also listed as the assistant matron.

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. All comments are welcome; however, if they are inappropriate, they will not be published.

PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Time Away for Flipside

2011-01-16T18:30:00.005-05:00

Oh where, oh where, has my Flipside gone....
Oh where, o where can it be.....
My son's illness has taken me away from blogging again. This time, yours truly, has been traveling to and from Chicago...now going on 5 weeks. The first two were by car, week three was by plane and last week on the Capital Limited.

This week I'm back on the train. And this week, I'm giving the lower coach seats a try. Dragging my stuff up the VERY tight set of steps to the second floor of the coach was a bit of a stretch....lol

The down side of all this is that the train leaves Cleveland at an Un-Godly hour....3:00 a.m. and frankly, arrives at almost equally an Un-Godly hour....2:00 a.m., if it is on time.

The genealogy aspect of all this is that Flipside back on the rails

My maternal great grandfather, Alfred Frederick, with whom I also share a birthday....May 1....was a railroad man. In fact, he and his sons all were railroad men. Recently I found out that he died in a town north of Chicago, in Highland Park, at The Railroad Men's Home. My great grandfather probably road these same rails back in the mid to late 1800's and into the early 1900's. He was based out of Columbiana County, Ohio until 1898 and then Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania until he went into the Railroad Men's Home about 1920.

I had been looking for his place of death for over a decade and one evening, not too long ago, found it listed out on Family Search. Now, just so you think I am not doing anything genealogy during this hiatus....I am indexing for Family Search....something I can do while sitting in a hospital room at Loyola Medical Hospital or in the train.

Lemons to lemonade

© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

WOW Two Years Old Today

2011-01-03T18:35:00.005-05:00

Thank you Barbara over at Life From The Roots for reminding me that today is my Blogiversary. I think I remembered it, but it was so far in the recesses of my mind, that I did forget. I have been traveling back and forth between Cleveland and Chicago the past two weeks and am, in fact, back in Chicago again this week. Most days I can't remember where I am, yet alone that today is my 2nd blogiversary ;-)

For those of you who follow me on Facebook, you know that the reason for all this travel is my eldest son, who has had some serious medical issues. I can't say enough about Loyola Medical Hospital....they are the best.

Thank you all for your continued support and readership over the past two years.

Blog on.......

© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Happy New Year

2011-01-01T00:01:00.001-05:00

New Year.......New Hope

2010-12-31T14:48:00.012-05:00

A lovely orchid was given to me by Aric and Jeannine when I had my surgery back in the winter. It soon lost its petals and looked as if it was ready for the trash can. Jeannine cut it back and set it out on the deck in the bright spring and summer sun. There it resided until fall, when I brought it back into the house.

Still looking pretty well spent, I had thoughts again of throwing it away....but didn't.

Look at it now! Resplendent with color

Cycles in life......2010 is almost behind us.....welcome 2011......a New Year.....a New Hope.

© 2011, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Tombstone Tuesday--Vonderbank

2010-12-28T17:39:00.008-05:00

Several weeks ago while wandering around the Metairie Cemetery, located at the end of the Cemeteries line in New Orleans, I came upon this mausoleum and statues of the two children.

I was more interested in the statue than the names, so unfortunately I can't provide much information on who is interred in the family vault. Apparently the two children are mourning the death of their dear aunt, Babette Vonderbank. In the urn is Uncle Ahrens. Find A Grave provided the name of the third person, Mathieu Vonderbank.

Googling the Vonderbank name I have been able to locate some information about the sculptor and those interred.

Metairie is filled with wonderful sculptural markers and they are what captured my attention while walking from mausoleum to mausoleum. I did not do to much in the way of actually taking notes and photographing the names as I usually do.

Vonderbank Children on flickr. This has a comment from a relative that is interesting.

Vonderbank listing on Find A Grave.

© 2010, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T00:00:00.000-05:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM

FLIPSIDE

Christmas Eve

2010-12-24T07:52:00.005-05:00

I had high hopes of actually submitting a post of Christmas Eve traditions. Driving to and from Chicago for my son's emergency surgery put an end to that notion, so I am opting for a vintage Christmas Eve post card.

Hopefully next year, Flipside will reveal some of our Christmas Eve fun. I am thinking of one year in particular, when I was in my infancy of family genealogical research, that brings gales of laughter to everyone who participated.

Stay tuned til December 24, 2011....wink wink

Advent Calendar Day 23--Christmas Sweetheart Memories

2010-12-23T07:00:00.000-05:00

My great great grandfather has such beautiful handwritingAND, don't you love the use of "spinster"..lol
This was not one of the advent calendar memes I was going to use.....primarily because I don't have any personal sweetheart memories of the holidays.....then I seemed to remember that one of my ancestors was married on or near Christmas. And my memory served me right!!!

George Henry Hughes and Mary Ann Storey, my paternal great great grandparents were married on CHRISTMAS DAY! The date, December 25, 1870. The wedding ceremony took place at All Saints Church, Stranton, Durham County, England. This area is located in good old Hartlepool, England.

Witnesses for the ceremony were:

Jane Sharp and George Robinson Sharp--to date I don't know who these people were or if they relate to the family. Mary Ann Storey has Robinson lineage.

George Henry Hughes signed his name to the marriage license, but Mary Ann Storey Hughes signed with an " X "

Address for both George Henry and Mary Ann is listed as Stranton.

George Henry's father is listed as Samuel Hughes a puddler.
Mary Ann Storey's father is listed as John Storey a blacksmith.

© 2010, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Advent Calendar Day 22--Christmas and Deceased Relatives

2010-12-22T07:00:00.000-05:00

Growing up, I can remember driving to Allegheny County Memorial Park, Allison Park, Pennsylvania and placing a Christmas wreath on my maternal grandfather's grave. I drove with Mom. I never knew this grandparent as he died several years before I was born.

In 1961, we actually moved into a house that was almost across the street from the cemetery. The tradition continued. After my Mother's death, I felt it was important to have a wreath placed on my maternal grandparents grave.

Most of my family is now buried at Memorial Park. Last Christmas marked the tenth year since my Mom's death. We drove to Pittsburgh, placed a pointsetta in front of her burial place and sang her favorite Christmas hymn, O Come All Ye Faithful.

Then we drove around the cemetery paying our respects to both of our grandparents, finally stopping at Dad's tombstone. My brother Jeff had something special planned for Dad instead of a wreath. Our father was a civil war buff and in 1999 his Christmas wreath was a union cap and small American flag.....very unique and festive.

© 2010, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser